Understanding the development of narrative insight in early psychosis: A qualitative approach

The primary objective was to understand the process of insight development in early psychosis, using narrative analysis and grounded theory. Given the growing interest in “narrative insight”, the study’s use of a qualitative research design was deemed appropriate for shedding light on this emerging phenomenon. Twenty-four data-gathering sessions were conducted; 12 participants from a Vancouver, BC early psychosis clinic wrote a narrative of their pathway into care, and were then interviewed. The results of the analysis, which used qualitative research, consisted of four “doorways” to positive insight development: “becoming demoralized”, “finding a fit”, “experiencing an impact”, and “envisioning illness in the background” of life. The “core process” of narrative insight development in early psychosis thus involves “coming to an acceptable, adaptive explanation” of one’s problem. The implications are that interventions should seek to help people find an explanation that resonates with their psychosis experience, and which is appraised as relevant to restoring their envisioned life trajectory.