'Many die in the hurricane': An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Adults with Psychosis and a History of Childhood Physical Abuse.
J E Rhodes, L J Healey
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy May 2017 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2043 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Adults with a diagnosis of psychosis who had survived childhood physical abuse |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Physical abuse Psychosis |
| Key findings | Participants described an everyday world of aggression and contempt by others, pervasive mistrust, isolation, and for some, self-directed hate. Most could reflect on what they called 'paranoia' or 'voices', with paranoia described as a fluctuating compulsive 'thread' of meaning and feeling, sometimes transforming the self, and often involving dread of murderous obliteration. The authors argue these findings point to the importance of therapy for interpersonal difficulties and the long-term effects of trauma. |
Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the experience of adults with a diagnosis of psychosis and who have survived childhood physical abuse. We interviewed eight participants and used interpretative phenomenological analysis to generate themes. The main themes were of perceiving an everyday world of aggression and contempt by others, pervasive mistrust, feeling isolated and for some, attacking oneself with hate. Most participants were also able to reflect on what they saw as 'paranoia' or 'voices'. Paranoia was described as a fluctuating compulsive 'thread' of meaning, feeling and sometimes a transformation of the self. The paranoia and voices experienced often involved a dread of murderous obliteration. The discussion considers the relevance of altered consciousness, psychotic states of self and the contribution of mutating narrative and meaning. Our findings point to the importance of therapy for interpersonal difficulties and the long-term effects of trauma. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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