Lived Experience of Health and Wellbeing Among Young People with Early Psychosis in Aotearoa New Zealand

Victoria Chinn; Ella Creagh; Tracey Gardiner; Briony Drysdale; Pāyal Ramritu; Zara Mansoor; Susanna Every-Palmer; Matthew Jenkins

doi:10.1007/s10597-024-01259-6

Lived Experience of Health and Wellbeing Among Young People with Early Psychosis in Aotearoa New Zealand

Community Ment Health J. 2024 Mar 16. doi: 10.1007/s10597-024-01259-6. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Victoria Chinn¹, Ella Creagh², Tracey Gardiner², Briony Drysdale², Pāyal Ramritu², Zara Mansoor², Susanna Every-Palmer², Matthew Jenkins²

Affiliations

¹ School of Health, Victoria University of Wellington, Te Herenga Waka, Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa, New Zealand. victoria.chinn@vuw.ac.nz.
² Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago Wellington, Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa, New Zealand.

PMID: 38492121
DOI: 10.1007/s10597-024-01259-6

Abstract

First episode psychosis (FEP) can disrupt a young person's life and future health. Those with lived experience of FEP can inform effective support. This study investigated how young people with FEP experience good health and wellbeing living in Aotearoa New Zealand. Recent clients of early intervention services (n = 12) shared their stories across varying traditional and creative platforms. Thematic analysis revealed seven themes important for living well with FEP: whanaungatanga (relationships), addressing stigma, finding out who I am with psychosis, getting the basics right, collaborative healthcare, understanding psychosis, and access to resources. The themes informed five supporting processes: whakawhanuangatanga (relationship-building), using holistic approaches, creating space for young people, reframing, and improving access to appropriate resources. These findings deepen our understanding of how we can support young people to live well with FEP. This study highlights the value of creative methods and partnering with lived experience experts to conduct meaningful health research.This trial was registered at Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) CTRN12622001323718 on 12/10/2022 "retrospectively registered"; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=384775&isReview=true .

Keywords: Arts-based Methods; Health; Lived Experience; Psychosis; Well-being; Young People.