Narrative exposure therapy in early intervention in psychosis: a study providing an initial assessment of safety and acceptability of this psychological therapy for individuals with a first episode of psychosis who have experienced repeated trauma

Many people who experience psychosis, which can involve things like hearing voices or feeling very suspicious, have also lived through difficult or traumatic events in their past. Sometimes, these traumatic experiences are repeated, especially during childhood. Unfortunately, not dealing with these past traumas can make it harder for people to recover from psychosis, affecting their daily lives and overall well-being. It can also lead to more time spent in hospital, which is hard for them and their families.

Currently, services that help people with psychosis early on often don't focus much on past trauma, and many don't offer specific therapies to help with it. This study is looking at a therapy called Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). NET is a unique type of talking therapy that was created to help people who have experienced many difficult, complex traumas. It's safe and approved for use in the NHS, and it helps people understand their past experiences, including both tough times and good moments, to make their trauma memories less upsetting.

This study is an important first step. We want to find out if NET is a good fit for people with new experiences of psychosis and past trauma. We'll also check if it's practical to train healthcare professionals in these services to deliver NET. The answers from this study will help us understand if we should do a bigger study to see how much NET can help people with psychosis and trauma in the long run. People with personal experience of psychosis and trauma have helped design this study to make sure it's helpful and relevant.