Psychologists’ Perspectives on the implementation of Psychological Therapy for Psychosis in the Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Setting

Abstract

Psychological therapies should be delivered in psychiatric inpatient settings to people experiencing psychosis. However, inpatient populations present with complex needs and usually are admitted only briefly. This makes the delivery of psychological therapies for people experiencing psychosis particularly challenging. Our aim was to explore the adaptations required to deliver psychological therapies to this population from the perspective of inpatient psychological practitioners. Twelve participants were recruited, and a qualitative semistructured interview schedule was administered examining their perspectives on important factors required to deliver psychological interventions in this context. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three superordinate themes were identified: “crisis-focused psychological approaches,” “working with and supporting the wider system,” and “environmental adaptations.” Traditional psychological therapies are a challenge to deliver in inpatient environments due to complex needs, essentiality of team working, and brief admission. Several adaptations are required to ensure psychological therapy is effective in this setting.