Beyond the sentence: Shared reading within a high secure hospital

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Therapeutic Interventions

Background:

• Secure forensic psychiatric settings house patients detained under Mental Health Acts.
• Rehabilitative interventions are crucial for improving patient outcomes and societal reintegration.
• Patients with psychosis and self-harm histories require tailored therapeutic approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of weekly Shared Reading sessions for patients with psychosis and self-harm.
• To analyze the interactional changes and discursive strategies employed during the intervention.
• To explore Shared Reading as a rehabilitative tool in high-secure settings.

Main Methods:

• A 12-month longitudinal case series design was employed.
• Four patients with psychosis and self-harm history participated.
• Psychological discourse analysis was used to analyze session data.

Main Results:

• Patients demonstrated a broadened capacity to consider, evidenced by increased hedging and less declarative language.
• Assertiveness improved, indicated by a shift from plural to singular pronouns and reduced generalization.
• Engagement heightened through preferred responses in adjacency pairs, mirroring non-verbal cues.
• Avoidance strategies diminished over time.

Conclusions:

• Shared Reading shows potential in fostering interactional skills for individuals in high-secure settings ready for recovery.
• The study highlights the value of therapeutic reading in promoting social action and change.
• Further exploration of interaction pathways is recommended, considering study limitations.