Lost in translation? Qualitative interviews with Australian psychedelic-assisted therapy trial clinicians
Policy changes in Australia mean that psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is now available to consumers outside of clinical trials. Yet, the regulatory frameworks guiding the practice of PAT are underdeveloped, and the evidence base for guiding clinical practice is diverse and emerging, resulting in anticipated challenges in translation to community practice. Mental health clinicians who have experience delivering PAT in clinical trials are likely to be at the forefront of community practice and training, and influential in discussions about implementation. Yet little is known of their perspectives, preferences, and practices associated with the implementation of PAT.
A systematic review and meta-ethnography exploring personal perspectives of recovery among those with lived experience of non-suicidal self-injury
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant public health concern. Research and treatment interventions largely focus on stopping self-injury. People who self-injure do not necessarily equate recovery to cessation. Qualitative accounts allow greater understanding of personal recovery narratives. This study aimed to synthesise personal conceptualisations of NSSI recovery.
Psychosis and help-seeking behaviour-A systematic review of the literature
Many people with psychosis do not seek help which delays access to recommended treatments. Duration of untreated psychosis is associated with poor healthcare outcomes and increased risk of relapse. The reasons why people delay accessing treatment remain unclear. This is the first systematic review to synthesise the literature examining professional and non-professional help-seeking in psychosis across clinical and subclinical populations.
Emotion processes in voice-hearers: Understanding differences in emotional reactivity, emotion regulation and alexithymia
Disrupted emotion processes are commonly linked to the onset and maintenance of auditory verbal hallucinations. However, a comprehensive approach using an extended emotion model has not previously been applied to voice-hearers to distinguish impairments in emotion processes from non-clinical populations. The present study hypothesised voice-hearers, as compared to controls, would have (1) higher reactivity to negative emotions and lower reactivity to positive emotions, (2) more difficulties regulating negative and positive emotions, (3) more maladaptive strategy use, and (4) higher alexithymia.
'Cheering on from the side-lines': The perceived impact of romantic partner's commentary and behaviour on maintaining women's appearance anxiety
Appearance anxiety (AA) is a probable risk factor for body dysmorphic disorder and a prevalent and debilitating concern. Extant literature suggests that romantic partners' commentary and accommodation behaviour may contribute to women's appearance concerns. The aim of this study is to explore how women experience and make sense of romantic partner feedback about their appearance.
A qualitative study exploring participants experiences of the Mental Imagery for Suicidality in Students Trial
Higher education students experience elevated levels of suicidal ideation, but often face barriers in accessing support. The Mental Imagery for Suicidality in Students Trial (MISST; ISRCTN13621293; NCT05296538) tested the feasibility and acceptability of a six-session imagery-based approach called Broad-Minded Affective Coping (BMAC). This qualitative evaluation explored the experiences of MISST participants and staff.
What is helpful and unhelpful when people try to withdraw from antipsychotics: An international survey
Antipsychotics remain the first-line treatment for people diagnosed with psychotic disorders despite adverse effects which lead many people to stop their medication. Many stop without the support of the prescriber, who may fear relapse. The objective of this study is to better understand the process of withdrawal from antipsychotics, from the perspective of people taking antipsychotics.
The effect of trauma-focused therapy on voice-hearing: An experience sampling study
Trauma and post-traumatic stress are involved in the aetiology and maintenance of voice-hearing. It has been proposed that trauma-focused therapy (TFT) might affect voice-hearing, but previous studies are limited and remain undecided.
A grounded theory of cognitive analytic reflective practice groups
Whilst cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) is increasingly used as an indirect intervention, there is little evidence of how the approach can be applied to reflective practice. This study sought to develop a process model of cognitive analytic reflective practice (CARP) groups.
A qualitative study exploring children and young people's experiences of cognitive therapy for PTSD delivered within the context of a randomised controlled trial
This qualitative study aimed to explore the treatment experiences of children and young people with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, participating in a randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of Cognitive-Therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD).
Mentalizing individuals, families and systems: Towards a translational socioecological approach
Mentalization-based treatment (MBT) is a spectrum of interventions that share a central focus on improving the capacity for mentalizing. Although MBT was originally developed as a treatment for individuals with borderline personality disorder, its scope and focus have been broadened to become a socioecological approach that stresses the role of broader sociocultural factors in determining the closely related capacities for mentalizing and epistemic trust. This special issue brings together some of the newest developments in MBT that illustrate this shift. These contributions also highlight several current limitations in mentalization-based approaches, providing important pointers for further research. In this editorial, we first outline the broadening scope of the mentalizing approach, and then provide a discussion of each of the contributions to this special issue in the context of the need for further research concerning some of the key assumptions of mentalization-based approaches and their implementation in clinical practice. We close this editorial with considerations concerning future research.
Internalizing symptoms and affective vulnerability among heterosexual and sexual minority young adults
Sexual minority young adults report higher rates of anxiety and depression, and affective vulnerability factors (i.e. anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, emotion dysregulation) may help explain these mental health disparities.
Visual hallucinations in psychosis: What do people actually see?
One in three people with psychosis experience visions. However, little is known about what people see, and current treatments have limited benefits.
"All the horrible emotions have passed, I still remained, and I was safe": A qualitative study of Lesbian and Gay people's lived experience of completing a full Dialectical Behaviour Therapy programme
Lesbian and Gay people (LGP) experience higher rates of mental health difficulties, including self-harm, suicidal behaviours, as well as inequalities in health care, than their heterosexual peers. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment for self-harm and suicidal behaviours, though there is little research on LGP's experiences of DBT. This research aims to explore LGP's experiences of completing a full DBT programme.
What do they look for and what do they find? A coproduced qualitative study on young people's experiences of searching for mental health information online
Many young people (YP) struggle with their mental health and look online for help. To capitalise on their digital presence, we need to better understand how and where they seek information online and what they think of what they find.
'I'm ruined': Young people's and their mothers' experiences of living with, and receiving a diagnosis of, borderline personality disorder: An interpretative phenomenological analysis
The adolescent borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnosis has been widely debated for many years. Strikingly, young people's experiences of both receiving a diagnosis of BPD, and of living with BPD, are largely under-explored. The current study seeks to address these gaps in the literature in a multi-perspectival design utilising young people-parent dyads.
Adult stakeholders' perspectives on supporting or undermining the mental health of sexual and gender minoritised adolescents
To explore adult stakeholders' perspectives on what supports or undermines the mental health of sexual and gender minoritised adolescents (SGMA) in everyday life in order to better understand how to foster supportive psychosocial environments for SGMA.
A call to action: Re-activating the latent human factor for achieving the UN SDGs-cultivating courageous partnerships and compassionate human systems
The raison d'être for psychotherapy is to address individual suffering and distress. The sustainable development goals address suffering and distress on a global scale in the context of threats to the survival of our communities and planet.
'Like walking with someone as opposed to trying to catch up to them'-Dynamics at play when clinicians and young people formulate together
The aim of the present study was to explore the social process of formulation in talk therapy between young people and clinicians.
Types and mechanisms of idiographic change during guided self-help for anxiety
To compare idiographic change during two formats of guided self-help (GSH); cognitive-behavioural therapy guided self-help (CBT-GSH) and cognitive analytic therapy guided self-help (CAT-GSH).
"It is not all glowing and kale smoothies": An exploration of mental health difficulties during pregnancy through women's voices
This study aimed to explore the experiences of women with moderate-to-severe mental health difficulties during pregnancy, with a focus on establishing their psychological needs. Psychological distress caused by mental health difficulties during pregnancy is common and can significantly impact women and their babies. However, women's subjective experiences of difficulties with their mental health throughout pregnancy, alongside their experiences of staff, services and treatments are less well understood.
A qualitative, multi-perspective study on causal beliefs about adolescent depression
The current study aimed to examine: (1.1) causal beliefs about adolescent depression in a sample of adolescents with a clinical depression and their mothers and fathers; (1.2) within-family overlap of causal beliefs; (2.1) mothers' and fathers' reflected causal beliefs about their child's perspective; (2.2) the accuracy of mothers' and fathers' reflected causal beliefs as related to their child's causal beliefs.
Can you tell me more about that? An examination of self-disclosure in videoconference and face-to-face psychological interviewing
Videoconference psychotherapy (VCP) is a crucial component of many health care systems, allowing for remote delivery of services. However, little is known about the mechanisms of change within VCP. Previous research has suggested that self-disclosure may be greater in VCP than face-to-face modalities and was investigated in the current study.
Experiences of imagery-based treatment for anxiety in bipolar disorder: A qualitative study embedded within the image based emotion regulation feasibility randomised controlled trial
Intrusive mental imagery is associated with anxiety in bipolar disorder (BD) and presents a novel treatment target. Imagery-based treatments show promise in targeting anxiety and improving mood instability. This qualitative study explored experiences of receiving up to 12 sessions of a brief structured psychological intervention: Image-Based Emotion Regulation (IBER), which targets maladaptive mental imagery in the context of BD with an aim to modify the emotional impact of these images.
Secure attachment imagery facilitates help-seeking and help-acceptance in psychosis
People with psychosis delay accessing recommended treatments, resulting in poor healthcare outcomes and increased risk of relapse. Means of improving help-seeking and help-acceptance could reduce duration of untreated psychosis (DUP). This study examined the role of attachment style in help-seeking and help-acceptance in psychosis.
Psychologists' experience of working with people who hear voices and their views on the idea of voice simulation training: A qualitative study
Research indicates psychologists typically lack subjective understanding of voice hearing. Voice hearing simulation training has potential to improve understanding, empathy and confidence among clinicians, but psychologists have had limited input into its development. This study investigated psychologists' and a psychotherapist's clinical experience of working with people who hear voices and their views and recommendations for voice hearing simulation training.
Internet-delivered emotion regulation therapy for adolescents engaging in non-suicidal self-injury and their parents: A qualitative, online focus group study
We explore adolescents' and their parents' experiences of internet-based emotion regulation therapy for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI).
Commentary: What young people want from psychotherapy
In recent times there has been increasing acknowledgement of the importance of attending to the agenda of people with lived experience in psychotherapy research. In particular, young people's voices have been recognised as central to the design and development of psychotherapies that work for them. It is important to recognise the limits of professional agendas and make sure that young people's own priorities are represented in the indicators against which we measure change in research evaluations of psychotherapy. This requires an extension of evaluation research indicators from psychiatric symptomatology, to include aspects of wellbeing that matter to young people themselves. This article joins others in calling for a shift from the focus on symptom change in the evaluation of psychotherapy with youth, to acknowledge subjective indicators identified through research conducted with young people. New indicators might, for example, be centred on the degree to which young people experience increased capacity for acceptance of their emotions, a comfortable sense of identity, improved relational trust, and a stronger sense of their own agency. If psychotherapy is to be meaningful to young people, it is vital that we tailor it to young people's own needs and priorities and evaluate it against the aspects of change that matter to them.
Depth of emotional experiencing and outcome in therapy with young people
To analyse the relationship between depth of emotional experiencing and outcomes in young people. We also wanted to understand whether 'early' or 'working' depth of emotional experiencing was most predictive of outcomes, and how these compared against alliance effects.
The assessment of pathways towards suicide in adolescent patients: A PDM-2-oriented approach
Increasing evidence has supported the mutual relationship between suicidal motivations and personality pathology, especially in adolescence. Distinctive aspects of personality functioning can explain the tendency to resort to suicidal ideation and behaviours, which, in turn, may play a specific role in exacerbating severe impairments in self-regulation mechanisms that underlie personality pathology.