A study of the fundamental psychological needs of young people in receipt of psychological therapy

A literature review is first presented in this volume, exploring the peer-reviewed papers published in the English language over the past two decades on the application of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to the psychological treatment of individuals with mental health difficulties. It was written up for submission to Counselling Psychologist. After this, an empirical paper is presented. This is a qualitative study of the experience of psychological therapy by young people with severe mental health problems. The study employs Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the lived experiences of seven young people, and to identify common themes in relation to how therapy influenced their understanding of themselves and of their future lives. Some implications for future service development are offered in the discussion with a view to highlight what the participants report as both helpful and essential aspects of their psychological treatment. This paper was prepared for submission to Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. A Public Domain briefing paper of both papers is presented prior to the appendices.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

d_cp

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

d_cp

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Birmingham

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Melo, Sara Sigmaringa

• BF Psychology