Experience Of Distress And Use Of Psychological Therapy:udPerspectives From Users Of An IAPT Service

摘要

This study explored the experiences of people who attended therapy at an IAPTudservice. It focussed on how distress has been understood by people who haveudhad this experience, and how this understanding in turn shapes their experienceudof psychological therapy.udIndividual, semi-structured interviews were carried out with nine individuals whoudhad completed High Intensity therapy at an IAPT service. The data was analysedudusing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, generating three themes:ud“Looking to my self”, exploring identity and emotional world; “The role of others”,udexploring experience of distress in the context of relationships; and “’Outsideudforces’: Contextual influences on the experience of distress”. The analysisudsuggested that participants made sense of their distress in varying and complexudways, with implications for their experience of therapy.udFindings are discussed with relation to the existing literature, and implications forudclinical practice are suggested.