Search

A first episode of psychosis (FEP) is a significant life event for both a young person and their parent. This life event highlights a period of transition which is negotiated within the young person-parent relationship. The way in which the dyad reacts to and copes with the experience is important throughout the episode of FEP. Aims: This study aimed at describing how young people and their parents understand their experiences of FEP, and analysing how their relationships influenced recovery, and how psychosis and recovery affected the relationship itself. Method: A sample of ten participants, five young people who experienced psychosis and five parents were recruited. Data were collected using individual grounded theory interviews. Narratives were analysed using Grounded Theory. Results: A theory of recovery in the context of a parent-young person relationship was developed encompassing five core categories which were constructed through common pathways in which stories of recovery were told. These included formative experiences, independence, safe haven, secure base and parental distress. These categories were reflected across and within the relationships of parents and young people. Conclusions: This study provides an understanding of the process of recovery from the context of a parent and young person relationship. Therefore, offers a basis to explore further both relational and systemic factors important in the recovery from psychosis.