BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS: PSYCHOLOGISTS’ ACCOUNTS

Objectives: The evidence for CBT for early psychosis is limited yet it is used in early
intervention for psychosis services across the UK. Whilst engagement is considered
important in CBT for early psychosis, little is known about how therapists go about
achieving this in clinical practice. This study aimed to explore therapists’ subjective
accounts engaging people with early psychosis when working from a cognitive
behavioural perspective.
Design: A critical realist version of grounded theory was used in data collection and
analysis.
Method: Seven psychologists who had experience of working with people with early
psychosis in London were interviewed.
Results: The analysis showed a model of engagement from the therapists’ perspective.
The interpretation of the data highlighted the process of engaging people with early
psychosis being influenced by the categories: tenderness, client led, flexibility, therapist
influences and outside influences.
Conclusion: The results indicate the importance therapists placed on relational aspects
of therapy and that they did not adhere to their professed cognitive behavioural ways of
working. These findings have been linked to relevant literature. Practical and clinical
implications have been suggested.