Project Description

Psychosis: EIE investigates the conceptualization and enactment of ‘good practice’ in early intervention in psychosis services, from the perspectives of service users and clinicians. A primary aim of the study is to contribute young people’s voices to the examination of sensitive ethical issues in the implementation of early intervention services for psychosis.

Given the lack of empirical ethics investigation with young people involved in early intervention for psychosis, our initial study uses a grounded theory approach. We will recruit three different samples drawn from the population of EIP service: service users aged 14-24 in the prodromal phase of psychosis, service users aged 14-24 who have experienced a first episode of psychosis, and mental health professionals.

Recruitment of participants will take place in NHS sites in England hosting an EIP service. In keeping with grounded theory methodology, data collection and data analysis will be performed as an iterative process until theoretical saturation has been achieved.

We anticipate that the study will contribute to improvements in EIP practice by enabling a better understanding of the moral and ethical dimensions of EIP from the point of view of young service users; and more transparent alignment of patient and clinician values, expectations, and goals.