When service user and research worlds come together: An investigation into therapeutic engagement in secure settings

Thesis Abstract
This thesis describes the process of exploring the therapeutic engagement (TE) experiences of men detained in forensic environments. Therapeutic non-engagement for this hard to reach group can have devastating consequences for themselves, for staff, and to the public. A review of the literature highlighted how individual environments are likely to create specific factors which staff may consider when attempting to engage with men who are detained. There had however been limited investigations into TE from service users’ (SUs) perspectives. To better understand the factors involved in TE for men engaged in medium secure care, an SU informed study was completed to explore the lived experiences of men in a regional UK hospital. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the resultant themes included how SUs experienced occupying different worlds to staff, as well as themes relating to what the individual brings to therapy, what the therapy entails, and having or not having control. The researcher used the resultant themes to comment on the processes of conducting the research by considering their navigation between different worlds of SU research and ethics, and how implementing the findings achieved personal goals.
Total world count (excluding references and journal submission guidance): 19,467