Project details

Summary

What is the study about?

People who are prescribed antipsychotics tell us that they often experience changes in their hunger, appetite, or the extent to which they feel satisfied after a meal. They also say that these experiences feel very different to usual hunger and are much harder to control. 

We know that this hunger can be associated with weight gain, which can sometimes lead to emotional and physical health problems.
We want to understand this experience of hunger and to explore support options to help people manage it.

What are you trying to find out?

We want to work with service users, carers, and professionals to develop a support package to help adult service users to manage the hunger side-effects of antipsychotic medication. 

In phase 1, we will first conduct semi-structured interviews with up to 30 mental health service users. We will then conduct focus groups with up to 30 carers and focus groups with up to 30 mental health and social care professionals. 

These will help us to understand people’s perspectives and experiences of hunger side-effects, their preferred support options, and their ideas around how a support-package might be designed and delivered. Alongside this work, we will conduct a national survey to further ascertain the nature and scale of these hunger side-effects.

In phase 2, we will run workshops where we will aim to seek agreement on the content, format, and delivery of the support-package. 

What does taking part involve? And who is it for?

Service users

We are looking for mental health service users who:

• Are aged 16 years or older
• Are currently under an ‘Early Intervention’ Team
• And have started antipsychotic medication in the last 12 months OR had a change of prescription of antipsychotic medication within the last 12 months
• Have experienced change in hunger, appetite, or feelings of fullness after eating, as a result of taking antipsychotic medication

Phase 1: If you decide to take part in this study, we will invite you to take part in an interview, which would be carried out one-to-one by an experienced researcher. Interviews will last for approximately 60-90 minutes. You will be given the choice to take part in the interview in person, or remotely via videoconferencing (Zoom or Microsoft Teams), or by phone. 

We will give you the option of preparing some photographs you may already have/or take some photographs that you think will help us understand your experiences of the hunger side-effects of antipsychotics better. Photographs could be taken on a camera or on a mobile phone camera. You should only choose to share photographs with us that you are comfortable with sharing. We will send you some detailed instructions to help you complete this task.

You will be offered a £25 gift voucher as a thank you for your participation in this study. If you need to travel to attend an in person interview your travel expenses will be paid in full.

Phase 2:  If you decide to take part in this study, we will invite you to take part in a consensus workshop with 8-10 service users to explore your views on the possible support package. Or you might like to join a mixed workshop with other service users, carers, and mental health professionals (with 8-10 members). These half-day consensus workshops will last for approximately three hours and will be facilitated by an experienced researcher. You will be given a choice to take part in the workshop in person, or remotely via videoconferencing (Zoom or Microsoft Teams)

You will be offered a £25 gift voucher for each hour of your participation. If you stay for the full half day workshop you will be offered a £75 gift voucher as a thank you for your participation in this study. If you need to travel to attend an in person interview your travel expenses will be paid in full. 

Carers:   
We are looking for carers who:

• Are aged 16 years or older
• Are currently supporting a mental health service user 
• And the service user they support has been prescribed antipsychotic medication
• And the service user has experienced change in hunger, appetite, or feelings of fullness after eating, as a result of taking antipsychotic medication

Phase 1: If you decide to take part in this study, we will invite you to take part in a focus group with 6-8 carers to explore your perspective of the hunger side-effects of antipsychotics. Focus groups will last for approximately 60 minutes and will be facilitated by an experienced researcher. You will be given the choice to take part in the focus group in person, or remotely via videoconferencing (Zoom or Microsoft Teams).

You will be offered a £25 gift voucher as a thank you for your participation in this study. If you need to travel to attend an in person interview your travel expenses will be paid in full.

Phase 2:  If you decide to take part in this study, we will invite you to take part in a consensus workshop with 8-10 carers to explore your views on the possible support package. Or you might like to join a mixed workshop with other service users, carers, and mental health professionals (with 8-10 members). These half-day consensus workshops will last for approximately three hours and will be facilitated by an experienced researcher. You will be given a choice to take part in the workshop in person, or remotely via videoconferencing (Zoom or Microsoft Teams).

You will be offered a £25 gift voucher for each hour of your participation. If you stay for the full half day workshop you will be offered a £75 gift voucher as a thank you for your participation in this study. If you need to travel to attend an in person interview your travel expenses will be paid in full. 

Health professionals:
We are looking for health professionals who:

• Are mental health or social care professionals
• Working in an Early Intervention in Psychosis Team
• Have experience supporting or managing the care of service users who are prescribed antipsychotic medication.

Phase 1: If you decide to take part in this study, we will invite you to take part in a focus group with 6-8 health professionals to explore your perspective of the hunger side-effects of antipsychotics. Focus groups will last for approximately 60 minutes and will be facilitated by an experienced researcher. You will be given the choice to take part in the focus group in person, or remotely via videoconferencing (Zoom or Microsoft Teams). 

An optional gift voucher payment will be available for professionals to participate in this study. If you need to travel to attend an in person focus group your travel expenses will be paid in full.

Phase 2:  If you decide to take part in this study, we will invite you to take part in a consensus workshop with 8-10 professionals to explore your views on the possible support package. Or you might like to join a mixed workshop with other service users, carers, and mental health professionals (with 8-10 members). These half-day consensus workshops will last for approximately three hours and will be facilitated by an experienced researcher. You will be given a choice to take part in the workshop in person, or remotely via videoconferencing (Zoom or Microsoft Teams).

An optional gift voucher payment will be available for professionals to participate in this study. If you need to travel to attend an in person workshop your travel expenses will be paid in full.

Why is it important? 

The information we get from this study may help improve the way people manage the hunger side effects of antipsychotics in the future and how these people are supported. 

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.

If you are interested in taking part in this study, or have questions for the research team, click the button below to email the research team:

Email the research team