Mental Health Service User Experience of Positive Psychotherapy

Brownell, Tamsin; Schrank, Beate; Jakaite, Zivile; Larkin, Charley; Slade, Mike

Abstract

© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Objective: Service user satisfaction with therapy is a key part of the therapeutic process. The aim of this study was to investigate service user experiences of an 11-week group positive psychology intervention for psychosis (WELLFOCUS PPT) in the context of a randomized controlled trial (ISRCTN04199273). Method: Participants were 37 individuals (51% male; mean age 45.6 years) receiving the intervention as part of the trial. Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted to investigate participants' views of WELLFOCUS PPT. Transcripts were analyzed both deductively and inductively to identify common themes. Results: Feedback about the group experience was positive throughout. Components found helpful included learning to savor experiences, identifying and developing strengths, forgiveness, gratitude, and therapist self-disclosure. Conclusion: Findings emphasize the importance of considering service users' perceptions of therapy and can be used to guide clinicians in deciding whether to include one or more of the components of WELLFOCUS PPT in therapy.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 1, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Sep 30, 2014
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Mar 29, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 9, 2021
• Journal: Journal of Clinical Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0021-9762
• Electronic ISSN: 1097-4679
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 71
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 85-92
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22118
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3163024
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jclp.22118