Abstract
Sensory approaches are being used increasingly within in-patient mental health, however, few published studies into the service user perspective exist. This interpretative phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews with four women with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) to provide insight into the benefits and applicability of sensory strategies in a mental health rehabilitation setting and their part in the recovery process. Four superordinate themes were identified: barriers to using sensory strategies; emotion regulation; impact of the environment; and empowerment. While preliminary in nature this study highlighted the need for an individualized approach and transferability of strategies into the community.
Highlights
Sensory modulation approaches have seen increasing attention within adult mental health in recent years, within in-patient services (Moore, 2016; Scanlan & Novak, 2015)
Three of the participants described a reluctance in beginning to trial sensory strategies that is reflected by three subthemes: preconceptions: changing habits: and developing self-awareness
The themes identified through this study offer insight into the role of sensory strategies within the recovery of women diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) in longterm mental health rehabilitation settings and hold important implications for how their use within such settings could be improved
Summary
Sensory modulation approaches have seen increasing attention within adult mental health in recent years, within in-patient services (Moore, 2016; Scanlan & Novak, 2015). A description that perhaps best describes its use within mental health settings is as “a ‘bottom up’ approach to self-regulation” in which sensory inputs are used to support more adaptive methods of self-management
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