Responsibility

The project will be conducted by PhD student Kickan Roed under the supervision of the main supervisor, Professor Julie Midtgaard (Head of CARMEN, Mental Health Centre Glostrup), the primary co-supervisor, Professor Jimmi Nielsen (Head of the Outpatient Clinic for Complicated Schizophrenia, Mental Health Centre Glostrup), the assistant supervisor, Professor Niels Buus (specialist in qualitative research methodology at the  Faculty of Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University), and the assistant supervisor, Professor Emerita Ingrid Egerod (Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen). Maria Schou Pejstrup, Nurse Manager of the Outpatient Clinic for Complicated Schizophrenia, will serve as a clinical advisor.

Rationale, aim, & methods

The treatment with antipsychotic medication is often a lifelong endeavor for individuals affected by schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Nonetheless, treatment-related side-effects present a substantial menace to the physical well-being and personal recovery of users (defined as leading a meaningful life despite the constraints of psychiatric symptoms). Recent research proposes that the justification for long-term antipsychotic treatment might be lacking. Nevertheless, guided tapering of antipsychotic medication is not a standard practice in mental health services. Many individuals with schizophrenia might opt to discontinue treatment independently, which could result in the recurrence of symptoms and/or withdrawal effects. An ongoing initiative that offers guided tapering of antipsychotic medication for adults with schizophrenia suggests the feasibility and safety of either complete or partial tapering. Concerns regarding symptom relapse might obstruct the widespread adoption and execution of guided tapering in clinical settings.
The comprehensive aim of the PhD project is to investigate perspectives on guided tapering of antipsychotic medication among mental health care professionals and individuals affected by schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The project consists of three distinct studies: Study 1 seeks to delineate the attitudes towards guided tapering among mental health care professionals, who will engage in focus groups as a means of data construction. Study 2’s objective is to describe the encounters related to antipsychotic treatment and the inclination to have antipsychotic medications tapered, as perceived by individuals with schizophrenia. Study 3 aims to describe how individuals with schizophrenia experience guided tapering of antipsychotic medication and the effects it has on their day-to-day existence and self-perception. With Studies 2 and 3, individual interviews will be carried out, involving approximately 12 individuals affected by schizophrenia.

Perspectives​​​

By applying qualitative inquiry, including triangulation of methods and sources, the project will provide an in-depth, nuanced knowledge that will support person-centered evidence-based practice in relation to tapering of antipsychotic medication potentially promoting personal recovery in relation to severe mental illness.