A descriptive review of qualitative studies in first episode psychosis
Abstract
AIM: The aim of this paper is to provide a descriptive review of published qualitative research studies on first episode psychosis (FEP). METHODS: A review was undertaken to describe the findings of qualitative studies in early psychosis. Keyword searches in Medline, CINAHL, ASSIA, PsychINFO databases, as well as manual searches of other relevant journals and reference lists of primary papers, were conducted. RESULTS: Thirty-one qualitative papers (representing 27 discrete studies) were identified. The majority reported research concerning young people based in community settings. The research studies were organized according to the following generic social processes: (i) achieving identity; (ii) acquiring perspectives; (iii) doing activity; and, (iv) experiencing relationships. The papers reviewed are based on first-person accounts obtained from individuals who have experienced FEP, their family members and service providers. CONCLUSION: This descriptive review contributes to our understanding of the complex social processes of achieving identity, acquiring perspectives, doing activities and developing relationships as experienced by young people and the significant others in their world. The cumulative findings highlight the contextually rich and detailed information made possible through qualitative studies of FEP. They begin to account for the active engagement of individuals affected by psychosis in making sense of their experience and suggest that this experience should be understood from within young people's own framework of meaning.
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First-person accounts are important to gain a deeper understanding of key phenomena in FEP and to understand patients' help-seeking and attitudes towards services.
“While symptoms and functioning are often evaluated by observers, first-person accounts are important to gain a deeper understanding of key phenomena in FEP and to understand patients’ help-seeking and attitudes towards services (Boydell et al., 2010).”
From Qualitative study to explore the perspectives and mental health experiences of first episode psychosis patients and their caregivers in North India (2024) · cites this paper as Boydell et al., 2010
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- Authors
- Boydell, K. M., Stasiulis, E., Volpe, T., & Gladstone, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Great Ormond Street Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Boydell, Katherine M.
- Venue
- Early Intervention in Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2010-01-28
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 7-24
- ISSN
- 1751-7885 (ISSN-L)
- 1751-7893
- OpenAlex
- W2074279789
- Cited by
- 116
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 0.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Early Intervention in Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (68923)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
- Keywords
- first-episode psychosis, early psychosis, youth, identity, interpersonal relationships, family perspectives, service providers, lived experience, meaning-making, community-based care
- MeSH terms
- Employment, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Mental Health Services, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Psychotic Disorders, Social Environment, Social Identification, Qualitative Research
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