The relationship between trauma, attachment, and recovery from psychosis
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: School of Health Sciences
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a public health issue with huge costs to the sufferer, and society. The annual cost of schizophrenia is around £12 billion. Both biological and environmental factors have been shown to play a part in the development of schizophrenia. Key features include psychotic symptoms (hallucinations, delusions and negative symptoms) with accompanying poor personal and social functioning.
Associations between early life trauma and later life psychosis have been reported. However, there is a need to understand how early life trauma might contribute to the development of psychosis, to help in the treatment of psychosis. One mechanism proposed to explain the association between trauma and psychosis is disruption of childhood attachments. Attachment theory proposes that an individual's attachment style is established through the infant-caregiver relationship which influences later life relationships and ability to regulate distress in adulthood. There is significant evidence that individuals with psychosis experience difficulties in adult relationships and that these are associated with poorer outcomes, such as maladaptive recovery styles, poorer social functioning, more severe symptoms and higher relapse rates. However, most research investigating trauma, attachment, and psychosis is cross sectional and has not looked in detail at how it relates to particular symptoms over the course of the recovery period.
This PhD will explore the role of trauma, adult attachment and their relationship with specific psychotic symptoms and explore how these variables relate to each over time. It is hypothesised that trauma experiences will relate to adult attachment styles and that these will be associated with specific types of psychosis. The PhD will use qualitative and quantitative methods and will have the potential to help in the development of treatment programmes to improve recovery in people with psychosis.
Associations between early life trauma and later life psychosis have been reported. However, there is a need to understand how early life trauma might contribute to the development of psychosis, to help in the treatment of psychosis. One mechanism proposed to explain the association between trauma and psychosis is disruption of childhood attachments. Attachment theory proposes that an individual's attachment style is established through the infant-caregiver relationship which influences later life relationships and ability to regulate distress in adulthood. There is significant evidence that individuals with psychosis experience difficulties in adult relationships and that these are associated with poorer outcomes, such as maladaptive recovery styles, poorer social functioning, more severe symptoms and higher relapse rates. However, most research investigating trauma, attachment, and psychosis is cross sectional and has not looked in detail at how it relates to particular symptoms over the course of the recovery period.
This PhD will explore the role of trauma, adult attachment and their relationship with specific psychotic symptoms and explore how these variables relate to each over time. It is hypothesised that trauma experiences will relate to adult attachment styles and that these will be associated with specific types of psychosis. The PhD will use qualitative and quantitative methods and will have the potential to help in the development of treatment programmes to improve recovery in people with psychosis.
People |
ORCID iD |
Gillian Haddock (Primary Supervisor) | |
Isabelle Butcher (Student) |
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MR/N013751/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2025 | |||
1790011 | Studentship | MR/N013751/1 | 01/10/2016 | 31/10/2020 | Isabelle Butcher |
Description | CRN |
Organisation | MHRN and pCRN |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Colloboration on recuritment of participants for research |
Collaborator Contribution | Provision of CSOs and support for research. |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | CRN |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Department | Comprehensive Clinical Research Network (Coordinating Centre) – NIHR |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Colloboration on recuritment of participants for research |
Collaborator Contribution | Provision of CSOs and support for research. |
Impact | N/A |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | Establishment of a Patient Safety Research Unit |
Organisation | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Hospitals |
PI Contribution | This is a joint venture between The University of Manchester and Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. It has two key areas of focus: Suicide Prevention and Medicines Safety. The funding for this project is to support a Patient Safety Research Unit focused on promoting and supporting grant applications and pilot work on suicide and patient safety. |
Collaborator Contribution | Funding of an Researcher and PPI support. |
Impact | It is multi-discplinary. |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation trust |
Organisation | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Hospitals |
PI Contribution | Research partner |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint research strategy |
Impact | Publications |