TY - JOUR
T1 - Potential research priorities for understanding and treating severe paranoia (persecutory delusions): A priority-setting partnership between patients, carers, mental health staff, and researchers
AU - Sher, David Ariel
AU - Kabir, Thomas
AU - Arbuthnott, Maurice
AU - Nettleton, Suzie
AU - Dixon, Pauline
AU - May, Joanna
AU - Barrera, Alvaro
AU - Brown, Poppy
AU - Reeve, Sarah
AU - Isham, Louise
AU - Waite, Felicity
AU - Freeman, Daniel
N1 - Data availability statement: Data are available on reasonable request.
Funding information: DF, TK, and FW are supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre. DF is an NIHR senior investigator. LI is funded by an NIHR Development and Skills Enhancement award (NIHR303752). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, the NIHR, or the Department of Health. FW is funded by a Wellcome Trust Clinical Doctoral Fellowship (102176/B/13/Z). This research was funded in whole, or in part, by the Wellcome Trust (102176/B/13/Z).
Rights retention statement: For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any author-accepted manuscript version arising from this submission.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Background A persecutory delusion (severe paranoia) occurs when a person believes that others are trying to harm them when they are not. It is often a central difficulty for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Objective The objective is to identify potentially important research questions about severe paranoia. Methods A priority-setting partnership exercise was conducted involving people with lived experience, carers, mental health staff, and researchers. An initial survey identified research questions, and a second survey prioritised a refined list of questions. There was a project steering group. Findings 1480 responses were gathered from 146 people (56 people with lived experience, 23 family members, 78 mental health staff, and 21 researchers). Following refinement, 201 questions were rated by the steering group for priority to enter the second survey. 38 questions were rated in the second survey by 157 people (69 people with lived experience, 33 family members, 59 mental health staff, and 27 researchers). 15 questions were identified as research priorities, each endorsed to a largely similar extent across stakeholder groups. These covered a wide range of topics, including how to support family and carers, understanding the causes of paranoia, managing paranoid thoughts day-to-day, improving access to services, and developing psychological and pharmacological approaches. Conclusions There was a good deal of consensus in key questions—covering many aspects of understanding, treatment, and support—to be answered about severe paranoia. Most questions were considered largely equally important. Clinical implications Numerous questions were identified that, if addressed, might improve clinical provision for persecutory delusions.
AB - Background A persecutory delusion (severe paranoia) occurs when a person believes that others are trying to harm them when they are not. It is often a central difficulty for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Objective The objective is to identify potentially important research questions about severe paranoia. Methods A priority-setting partnership exercise was conducted involving people with lived experience, carers, mental health staff, and researchers. An initial survey identified research questions, and a second survey prioritised a refined list of questions. There was a project steering group. Findings 1480 responses were gathered from 146 people (56 people with lived experience, 23 family members, 78 mental health staff, and 21 researchers). Following refinement, 201 questions were rated by the steering group for priority to enter the second survey. 38 questions were rated in the second survey by 157 people (69 people with lived experience, 33 family members, 59 mental health staff, and 27 researchers). 15 questions were identified as research priorities, each endorsed to a largely similar extent across stakeholder groups. These covered a wide range of topics, including how to support family and carers, understanding the causes of paranoia, managing paranoid thoughts day-to-day, improving access to services, and developing psychological and pharmacological approaches. Conclusions There was a good deal of consensus in key questions—covering many aspects of understanding, treatment, and support—to be answered about severe paranoia. Most questions were considered largely equally important. Clinical implications Numerous questions were identified that, if addressed, might improve clinical provision for persecutory delusions.
KW - PSYCHIATRY
KW - Schizophrenia & psychotic disorders
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85211688556&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjment-2024-301224
DO - 10.1136/bmjment-2024-301224
M3 - Article
C2 - 39631828
AN - SCOPUS:85211688556
SN - 2755-9734
VL - 27
JO - BMJ Mental Health
JF - BMJ Mental Health
IS - 1
M1 - e301224
ER -