The Responses of Young People to Their Experiences of First-Episode Psychosis: Harnessing Resilience

Abstract

There is a burgeoning literature on first-episode psychosis, the focus of which is early intervention. Little emphasis has been placed on the responses of young people to their experiences of psychosis. This study, therefore, aimed to describe and explain the responses of young people to their first episode of psychosis. Data obtained from ten young people who attended a community early intervention recovery program in Perth Western Australia were analysed using a grounded theory method. The results revealed that the basic psychosocial problem experienced by participants was loss of control resulting in disrupted lives and that the core variable, harnessing resilience, accounted for most of the variance in their behaviour to overcome this problem. The resultant framework described and explained how participants resiled and established direction in their lives. Although there are limitations with this qualitative study, such as the small size and the demographics of the sample, the findings have potential implications for approaches to service provision and phase specific interventions.

Psychological resilience in people experiencing schizophrenia and suicidal thoughts and behaviours

“…In one exception to the dominance of quantitative research work in this area, a study which aimed to explore experiences of first episode of psychosis used a qualitative design and methodology. A key finding from this study was that the ability to self-pace and feel in control over aspects of their mental health problems helped participants to counter relapse and the worsening of symptoms which the authors labeled as a resilience mechanism (Henderson & Cock, 2015). However, the goal of the study by Hwas not to explore psychological resilience.…”

Resilience as a multimodal dynamic process

“…Southwick et al () suggest that social support may be related to resilience through a number of intermediary mechanisms, such as the motivation to reduce risky behaviours. In a qualitative study examining individuals' experience of first‐episode psychosis, Henderson and Cock () identified two types of resilience: “Tenacity,” which involved the input of effort over time, and “Rebounding,” meaning springing back or continuing with life. Self‐esteem, quality of life and spirituality also positively correlated with higher scores on a self‐report scale of psychological resilience in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BD; Mizuno et al, ).…”

Factors that contribute to psychological resilience to suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people with schizophrenia diagnoses: qualitative study

“…46,47 For example, a qualitative study investigating experiences of a first episode of psychosis identified two key themes, namely tenacity, which required long-term effort, and rebounding. 48 Additional resources such as determination and support from others were described as resilience mechanisms. 48 The results of that study identify a potential mechanism of effortful tenacity, bouncing back and social support.…”