• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Volunteers needed for effect of invalidation of illness belief in psychotherapy

Messages
55
Location
London, UK
I am seeking 3 volunteers to be interviewed for my MSc dissertation project at the University of Sheffield, UK.

The Title of the project is:

Effects of invalidation of illness belief in psychotherapy for people diagnosed with ME/CFS.

The interviews will cover what it was like to have therapy when you didn't have the same ideas about your illness as the therapist's ideas, how you felt afterwards, and what is the ongoing results of this therapy for you, how has it left you feeling. The therapy might have been CBT at an NHS CFS clinic but does not have to have been, it might be some other form of psychotherapy within or outside the NHS.

Ideally you should fulfil the following criteria:

1. You must have a diagnosis of ME, CFS, ME/CFS or CFS/ME
(referred to as ME/CFS in the project)

2. The diagnosis of this illness should be at least 2 years ago.

3. You must have had Psychotherapy or Counselling during which you felt that your therapist had a different view of your illness than the beliefs you have about it.

4. The Therapy may have been specifically to address ME/CFS but need not have been; it may be that the topic came up during therapy for some other reason.

5. The Therapy may have been Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) or it could be some other recognised form of psychotherapy or counselling.

6. The Therapy should have ended not more than 2 years ago and at least 3 months ago.

7. The Therapy should have lasted at least 6 weeks/sessions.

8. You should be 25 years of age or over.

9. You should be confident that the interview can be organised such that it will not be detrimental to your illness (see below).

Interviews:

· You will be asked to sign a consent form agreeing that you have read, understand and accept the terms of the interviews.
· Interviews will be by telephone and last between 30 minutes and 1 hour, to be arranged to fit in with any restrictions caused by your illness (eg. pacing etc).
· Where necessary, the interview may be spread, in shorter chunks, over more than one day to alleviate any negative effects on your health. This can be arranged before-hand or as necessary.
· If you find any of the discussion distressing, breaks will be provided.
· Strict confidentiality will apply, with use of pseudonyms in all written material.

Full details will be supplied for you to consent, if you volunteer.

What To Do Next:

If you are interested in volunteering, please send me a private message indicating your interest and/or that you would like to be considered. If you are interested but do not fit all the criteria, message me with details as you may still be eligible.

Applications should not be made in this thread. This is to protect your confidentiality.

Questions

Many of your questions will be addressed in the material which I will send to you if you send me a message to indicate your interest in applying. There is a full information sheet that you will be sent.

Indicating you are interested by private message will not constitute an application; this will happen at the point you send me a completed consent form.
 
Last edited:
Messages
13,774
Was just talking to someone who made me think of this thread. Is there an e-mail address I could pass on to them?