What is the Feasibility of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) for People Experiencing Psychosis?

NCT07237529 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 25052
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 1
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The goal of this interventional study is to evaluate the feasibility of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) for people experiencing psychosis. The secondary goal of this study is to evaluate the potential impact of NET in reducing symptoms of psychosis and post-traumatic stress. Participants will be patients accessing local NHS mental health services who are between the age of 18 to 65 years-old who have been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder and have a history of trauma. The main questions the study aims to answer are: Is NET feasible to deliver to people experiencing psychosis Can NET impact symptoms of psychosis in people experiencing psychosis? Can NET impact symptoms posttraumatic stress in people experiencing psychosis? Can NET impact symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in people experiencing psychosis? Participants will be asked to: Undertake the NET intervention with a trained NET therapist (the number of sessions will be decided based on the need of the participant) Complete a questionnaire to assess the traumas they have experienced over the course of their life (called the 'Trauma and Life Events' Scale) Complete a weekly interview to assess their symptoms of psychosis (called the 'Simplified Negative and Positive Symptoms Interview') Complete weekly measures to assess symptoms of post-traumatic stress (called the 'International Trauma Questionnaire') Complete weekly measures to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress (using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress 21 item Scale \[DASS-21\]) Complete a follow-up interview to discuss their personal experience of the NET intervention)

Conditions

Psychosis; Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Keywords

Narrative Exposure Therapy; Psychosis; Trauma; Intervention Study

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change Interview

  A change interview is a semi-structured interview designed to explore participants' experiences of therapy, its feasibility, acceptability, and perceived effects. It covers general wellbeing, views on specific NET components (psychoeducation, lifeline, questionnaires, session length), and reflections on discussing traumatic memories. Participants are asked about any changes they noticed, the importance of these changes, whether they attribute them to therapy or other factors, and what aspects were helpful or unhelpful. The interview also explores challenges, unexpected experiences, and the significance of specific traumas or positive memories (flowers) discussed in therapy, as well as differences observed between initial and later lifeline sessions.

  The Change Interview will be conducted at the follow-up phase of study which will occur 4 weeks within the final NET session.

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• PANSS-6

  From baseline to the end of follow up which occurs within 4 weeks of the final NET session.

• International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ)

  From baseline to the end of follow up which occurs within 4 weeks of the final NET session.

• DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale)

  From baseline to the end of follow up which occurs within 4 weeks of the final NET session.

Study Arms (1)

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

In Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), patients construct a detailed narration of their life story with the therapist, focusing on integrating traumatic memories into a coherent whole, including sensory, cognitive, emotional, and physiological aspects. The therapist documents the testimony. After an initial evaluation, including a questionnaire (TALE in this study), patients receive psychoeducation about trauma symptoms, followed by a preparatory introduction. Therapy begins with creating a "lifeline," an autobiographic overview of positive and traumatic events. Patients then undergo "Narrative Exposure," chronologically recounting their life story with in-depth exploration of emotionally charged experiences, particularly trauma, to contextualize and integrate them into reorganized memory. Patients will also be complete assessments pre, during and post the intervention to assess and monitor changes to their symptoms.

Other: Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET)

Interventions

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) OTHER

NET always begins with a face-to-face personal interview between the patient and the therapist to carefully assess life events using checklists, followed by an interview about trauma reactions and a thorough psychoeducation about the findings and suggested procedure of NET. In another session, he arousing and meaningful specific events from birth to present are symbolized in their valence in an autobiographical timeline (or 'lifeline'). The patient is then encouraged to share their life story, focusing on adverse and emotionally charged experiences, which are explored in depth using 'Narrative Exposure', and those are reviewed in the subsequent session.

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) Arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Schizoaffective Disorder
• Brief Psychotic Disorder
• Delusional Disorder
• Substance/Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorder
• Postpartum (Postnatal) Psychosis
• Individuals will be eligible to take part in the study if they meet all of the following:
• Age - between 18 and 65 years old.
• Language - able to speak and understand English well enough to take part in the research activities.
• Diagnosis - have a psychosis-related diagnosis as defined above.
• Trauma history - have experienced more than one traumatic event in their lifetime. A traumatic event means something that was deeply distressing, frightening, or life-threatening, such as abuse, assault, serious accident, disaster, or war.
• Current care - are under the care of a Local Mental Health Team (LMHT) within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and on the Care Programme Approach (CPA) pathway. CPA is an NHS care plan for people with complex mental health needs, setting out the support they will receive and who will provide it.
• Mobility - can travel independently to an NHS clinic or can be supported to attend.
• Consent - able to understand the study information and give informed consent to take part (in line with the Mental Capacity Act, 2005).

You may not qualify if:

• Recent change in antipsychotic medication - If the person has recently started, stopped, or changed their antipsychotic medication. This is because there are no specific medical tests ("biomarkers") to predict how someone will respond to a new medication, and the effects can vary greatly between individuals. The first few weeks after a medication change can be a time of increased risk for worsening symptoms or relapse. Research also shows that stopping and starting medication can temporarily affect thinking skills such as memory and attention.
• Recent serious mental health crisis -
• If the person has experienced a significant adverse event within the last three months, such as:
• A suicide attempt
• A hospital admission for mental health reasons This is because there is currently little research on how trauma-focused therapy affects people with severe mental illness who have recently been suicidal, and starting therapy too soon after a crisis may not be safe.
• Currently receiving another structured psychological therapy - For example, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or another regular talking therapy programme. This is to ensure that the results of the study reflect the effects of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) alone, without being influenced by another therapy.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust: collaborator
• University of Nottingham: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia; Wounds and Injuries

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Thomas Schroder, PhD

  University of Nottingham

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Lewis Albie MacDonald-Winship, BSc Psychology

CONTACT

07399649033; Lewis.MacDonald-Winship@nottingham.ac.uk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This is a single group assignment. All participants will get the same intervention, Narrative Exposure Therapy.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 19, 2025
• First Posted: November 19, 2025
• Study Start: February 5, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 2, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 16, 2026
• Last Updated: February 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-09