Summary

This study helps people with psychosis who feel people judge them badly because of their mental health issues. It offers a programme called Let’s Talk. People who take part will meet with a peer support worker to explore how to talk about their mental health. The study tests if this type of support can help improve their life and health.

What is the study about?

This study helps people with psychosis who feel bad or treated unfairly because of it. The program is called Let’s Talk. People in the study meet with a peer support worker, who has gone through similar things, to talk about their mental health. They use a workbook to think about when and how to talk to others about it. The study checks if this helps people feel better. The study wants to see what parts of the program work best.

What is the study trying to find out? 

This study wants to see if the Let’s Talk program helps people with psychosis feel better. It checks if talking to a peer support worker and using a workbook helps people decide when and how to talk about their mental health. The study compares normal care with Let’s Talk to see which works better. The goal is to find out if the program can help reduce stigma and support people in feeling better. It also wants to learn which parts of the program help the most in improving mental health.

What does taking part involve?

1. You will sign a Consent Form to say you want to join the study. You can take time to think about it first.
2. A researcher will talk to you for about 30 minutes. You’ll discuss how stigma affects your mental health. You’ll also fill out a short survey.
3. If you sign up, a computer will place you into one of two groups by chance.
4. If you are in Group 1: You get normal care (from your care team).
5. If you are in Group 2: You get normal care plus 16 sessions of the Let’s Talk program.
6. If you are in Group 2, you’ll meet with a peer support worker. The worker would have had similar experiences. They will help you use a workbook to decide when and how to talk about your mental health.
7. You’ll have some follow up meetings with a researcher at the start, 4 months, and 12 months to see how you’re doing.
8. You’ll get £25 at each of the three follow-up meetings.
9. You can stop anytime, and it won’t affect your care.

Who is it for?

If you have schizophrenia or a similar health problem, or are getting help for early signs of psychosis and ……

• You fee people judge you badly because of your mental health
• You find it hard to talk about your health
• You are getting help from a mental health team

…then we would like to hear from you.

We hope to find around 352 across England to take part.

Why is it important?  

This study is important because people with psychosis can feel bad or treated unfairly because of their mental health. This is called stigma. Stigma can make it hard to talk to others about mental health. The "Let’s Talk" program could help people feel better about their selves, help them talk to others about their health, and be healthier. The programme could also help people feel safe and supported, and enjoy their lives more.

How can I find out more? 

You can find out more information about taking part in this study by downloading the key documents at the top of this page.  You can also find out more information on the Let’s Talk study  here: Lets Talk 2 - Psychosis Research Unit - GMMH - NHS

If you are interested in taking part in this study, or have questions for the research team, please email us using the link below:

Email the research team:

nem-tr.randd@nhs.net