ABSTRACT
Cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis (CBTp) should be offered to patients receiving psychiatric inpatient care, yet very little is known about patients' perspectives on this. The aim of this study was to examine patients' experiences of a CBTp-informed intervention delivered in inpatient settings. We recruited 10 participants from the intervention arm of a randomised controlled trial examining the feasibility and acceptability of a CBTp-informed intervention for psychiatric inpatient settings. We undertook semistructured interviews examining their experiences of the intervention and analysed them using thematic analysis. The study was conducted in partnership with a coproduction group of key stakeholders (people with lived experience, family and carers, and clinicians). The intervention was found helpful by almost all participants, and all participants would recommend it to others in similar situations to themselves. The results demonstrated that participants valued the therapist's professionalism and emphasised the importance of the therapeutic relationship. Participants highlighted the importance of the therapy focusing on navigating admission and developing skills to manage the crisis experience so they could return to their normal lives. Participants described challenges to having psychological therapy in the acute crisis context including therapy interruptions and ongoing distressing experiences of psychosis. The study demonstrated the importance of prioritising the therapeutic relationship, that therapy was a valued process to navigate admission and discharge, but that some environmental and patient-level challenges were present. Further research is needed to explore inpatients' experiences of psychological interventions in this setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN trial registry: ISRCTN59055607.
Subject(s)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Crisis Intervention , Inpatients , Psychotic Disorders , Qualitative Research , Humans , Psychotic Disorders/therapy , Psychotic Disorders/psychology , Female , Male , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/methods , Adult , Crisis Intervention/methods , Middle Aged , Inpatients/psychology , Patient Satisfaction/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
Background: Both anxiety and depression have been identified as negative health outcomes associated with the distressing nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, especially among young people. Within this age demographic, trans and gender diverse people may be particularly vulnerable to pandemic-related mental health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression, due to the social challenges, gender dissonance, and poor mental health they experience. Furthermore, the social distancing measures impose several unique social and help-seeking challenges which may further contribute to the worsening of mental health. While there has been acknowledgment that vulnerable populations may be disproportionally affected by the pandemic, the experiences of trans and gender diverse youth have received very little empirical attention. Aims: To explore the mental health impact of Covid-19 on the lives of young trans and gender diverse people in the UK. Method: In total, 243 people took part in an online survey between May and July in 2020. Eighty-two people were removed due to providing insufficient data. The analyzed dataset therefore comprised of 161 respondents ranging from 16 to 25 years (M = 20; SD = 2.68). Participants were asked how social distancing measures had impact on their social lives, mental health and access to health services. They were also asked to complete validated measures of anxiety and depression. Results: This study found that those who experienced a greater impact of the Covid-19 outbreak and its associated social distancing measures, reported poorer mental health. Lack of social support, negative interpersonal interactions, unsupportive and non-affirming living environments and the inability to access mental health support and gender-affirming interventions were all factors that were associated with poor mental health. Conclusion: The findings provide specific direction for the tailoring of mental health service delivery to this population, noting the need for private, safe spaces in which young people can feel supported and have their gender identity affirmed.
ABSTRACT
Transgender people frequently report negative experiences in health care settings. This is often due to a lack of cultural competence from health care staff, resulting in stigmatized and discriminatory attitudes and actions. With nurses having the greatest amount of patient interaction among health care professionals, this article examines the potential benefit of educating nurses in providing culturally competent care in the interest of improving experiences of health care for transgender people. At present, very few nurses are provided with transgender inclusive training whether as students or once registered, restricting the profession from progressing toward a transgender inclusive culture with culturally competent practitioners. The article recommends that nurses are provided with transgender inclusive education both as preregistered student nurses, and as registered nurses.