Open Dialogue Approach: Exploring and Describing Participants' Experiences in an Open Dialogue Training Program

Abstract

Open dialogue (OD) is a family-oriented approach that has demonstrated good outcomes in treatment of fi rst-episode psychosis. OD focuses on communication as a joint process of constructing meaning among patients, their social networks, and professionals. The current study investigates how 42 participants experienced a training program in OD. The study comprises a cohort with a longitudinal design. Data were collected by means of semi-structured questionnaires and contained quantitative and qualitative data. Descriptive analysis was performed to analyze quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Findings show that participants' learning outcomes and confi dence with using OD with patients, social networks, and professionals increased signifi cantly throughout the training program. Refl ection and role play were essential learning methods. Participants defi ned themselves as in-progress and considered the training program educational, engaging, and varied. Three main themes arose from the data: Developing an OD Training Program, Competence Development "From Novice to Expert, " and Participation and Commitments. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(x), xx-xx.] O pen dialogue (OD) is a familyoriented, early intervention approach that has demonstrated good outcomes in the treatment of fi rst-episode psychosis (Aaltonen et al., 2011; Bergstrøm et al., 2017; Seikkula et al., 2006; Seikkula et al., 2011). The fi rst OD approach appeared in Western Lapland, Finland, with the primary goal to create a comprehensive, psychotherapeutically oriented model of treatment within the public mental health sector to address the real and changing needs of fi rst-contact schizophrenia patients and their families (Aaltonen et al., 2011). The principles of OD are now incorporated in all psychiatric treatment in the region, regardless of diagnoses (Seikkula, 2003). The OD approach eases the accessibility of mental health

Clinicians and supervisors' experiences with developing practices of open dialogue in network meetings in public mental health services

“…The study took place in Southern Norway. The participants were thirty clinicians from six units (four units in the mental health department of a university hospital and two units from primary mental healthcare) who completed an OD training programme initiated by the ODNM project (Jacobsen et al, 2021). Additionally, six clinicians with other formal or informal OD training courses were included (to increase the number of participants).…”

Exploring patients' experience of peer-supported open dialogue and standard care following a mental health crisis: qualitative 3-month follow-up study

“…Open dialogue is an integrative approach that embodies systemic family therapy 15 and has growing interest internationally. 12,[16][17][18][19][20] Some note that open dialogue's increasing popularity is due to its compatibility with a human-rights approach. 21 Key aspects of open dialogue include continuity of care, immediate care, tolerance of uncertainty, dialogic practice and clinical meetings that involve patients' networks.…”

Dialogue as a Response to the Psychiatrization of Society? Potentials of the Open Dialogue Approach

“…Furthermore, a large part of one’s own contributions is offered in the form of an explicit reflective talk between professionals in the presence of the whole network about their experience of witnessing the network process (“reflecting team”) ( Andersen, 2007 ; Schriver et al, 2019 ). This kind of reflection, as a way of sharing professional expertise ( Jacobsen et al, 2021 ), can be rejected by the network much more easily than a seemingly scientific or medicalized explanation that is often introduced with a more de facto stance. Thus, the practitioners contribute with their own thoughts, professional knowledge and life or work experiences in a questioning manner rather than dominating the network discussion with medical terminologies.…”