Psychological interventions for housebound people with psychosis: service user and therapist perspectives in South East London. (3rd May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Iredale, Catherine; Fornells-Ambrojo, Miriam; Jolley, Suzanne
• Is Part Of: Journal of mental health. Volume 25:Number 3(2016:Jun.)
• Page Start: 204
• Page End: 211
• Publication Date: 2016-05-03
• Subjects: Schizophrenia -- community mental health -- low-intensity -- engagement -- access; Mental health -- Periodicals; Mental health services -- Periodicals; 362.2
• DOI: 10.3109/09638237.2015.1078882
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-8237

Abstract

Abstract: Background : People with psychosis often have difficulty leaving their homes to perform tasks of daily living, which also limits their access to clinic-based interventions to support recovery. Home-based psychological therapy may offer a solution. Aim : To examine service user and therapist perspectives on (i) houseboundness in psychosis and (ii) the value of home-based psychological interventions, as a first step towards a systematic evaluation. Method : Semistructured interviews with 10 service users and 12 therapists from a large inner city mental health NHS Foundation Trust were thematically analysed. Results : Houseboundness most commonly resulted from anxiety, paranoia and amotivation, indicating the potential usefulness of targeted psychological therapies. Home-based therapy was offered unsystematically, with variable goals. Although beneficial for engagement and assessment, little gain was reported from undertaking a full course of therapy at home. Conclusion : Home visits could be offered by psychological therapists to engage and assess housebound service users, but home-based therapy may be best offered on a short-term basis, targeting paranoia, anxiety and amotivation to increase access to other resources. Given the increased cost associated with home-based psychological interventions, a systematic evaluation of their impact is warranted.