Summary
Group-based positive psychotherapy for people living with Acquired Brain Injury: A feasibility study
Funder: Health & Care Research Wales
Acquired brain injury – injury caused to the brain by an event like an accident or infection – can have profound and life-changing consequences. Treatment typically focuses on rehabilitation – trying to recover as much function as possible in commonly-affected areas like mobility and thinking skills, and helping people compensate for long-term problems. We have worked with patients to develop a new treatment that focuses on wellbeing by building opportunities for positive psychological experiences, positive health behaviours and social connectivity. This project will test the feasibility of running a full-scale trial of our treatment and answer important questions about how best to run such a trial.
Who can participate?
Adults over 18 years, with acquired brain injury and psychological distress, living in the community.
What does the study involve?
Participants will be randomly assigned to either ‘treatment as usual’ or ‘group-based positive psychotherapy.’ The intervention consists of an eight-week group-based positive psychotherapy that has been developed by the researchers. The intervention will be delivered by clinical psychologists working in NHS brain injury services. Each session lasts 2.5 hours with activities to try at home between sessions. Several measures will be recorded at baseline, after the eight-week intervention and at 3 months follow-up.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The study will provide important information that is needed to establish if a full-scale study could take place. The intended benefits of this will be to increase wellbeing and decreasing psychological distress for people with an acquired brain injury, as well as giving a meaningful role to survivors of brain injuries.
A level of ‘psychological distress’ is an eligibility criteria for participation in the intervention, therefore some psychological distress may be experienced during the intervention, we have safety procedures in place to manage this. Acquired brain injuries can cause different types of cognitive problems, we have set out eligibility criteria relating to cognition so we can be reasonably sure the participants will be able to engage in the intervention. This also means we can avoid including participants that may be unable to engage in the intervention, which could potentially cause them psychological distress. Like in all studies, there is a risk of data breaches that could expose confidential information. We have managed this by not including personally identifiable participant information on our database, including data procedures for all staff to follow, and by setting a training standard for all staff involved in the study.
Public involvement
Our research is shaped by the feedback that we have received from brain-injury survivors. They have told us clearly what they want from healthcare providers. Our patients have been involved in developing the new treatment and planning this proposal. A key aspect of our treatment is the use of patient-mentors. Importantly, three service users are co-applicants on our application and all have experienced the intervention as participants and mentors. These individuals have individual skills that add considerable value to the intervention as well as the research team.
Where is the study run from?
Swansea University (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
October 2019 to March 2024
Contact Details
Trial Manager / Lead Contact: Dr Kym Carter
Phone: 01792 606372
Email: k.carter@swansea.ac.uk
ISCRTN Number: 12690685; IRAS ID: 271251;