A qualitative study exploring how Practitioners within Early Intervention in Psychosis Services engage with Service Users' experiences of voice hearing?

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WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: The experience of hearing distressing voices is commonly reported by service users with a diagnosis of first-episode psychosis, but their access to formal conversations about voices in the form of psychological therapies can be limited. Service users within Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services can benefit from informal opportunities to talk about their voice hearing experiences. However, they can be reluctant to engage with these conversations. Little is known about the experiences of EIP practitioners as they try to engage service users in conversations about their voices. WHAT DOES THE PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Despite EIP Services specializing in the treatment of the symptoms of psychosis such as voice hearing, practitioners can still be reluctant to initiate and continue informal conversations about voices. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: EIP practitioners may benefit from the introduction of interview guides and brief interventions to assist them with the initiation and continuation of conversations about voices. ABSTRACT: Introduction Hearing voices is a common and distressing symptom of first-episode psychosis. Formal and informal conversations about voices are helpful, but service users within Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) Services can be reluctant to discuss their voice hearing experiences. There is currently no literature that explores the experiences of EIP practitioners as they try to facilitate conversations about distressing voices. Aim/Question A qualitative methodology was used to investigate how EIP practitioners work with service users who hear voices. Ten practitioners were interviewed, and interviews were analysed using template analysis. Results Two themes that offer novel insights are presented: "starting a conversation about voices" and "continuing the conversation about voices." Discussion Starting and continuing a conversation about voices was considered important but not all practitioners were confident in this respect. The initiation and continuation of these conversations may need to be systematically supported. Implications for practice To support the initiation of informal conversations, a standardized interview guide for voice hearing could be introduced and systematically utilized. The continuation of these conversations could be supported by practitioners being given the opportunity to receive training in and the opportunity to deliver brief symptom-specific therapies for distressing voices.