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Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.
Prof
Daniel
Freeman
+44 (0)1865 613109
daniel.freeman@psy.ox.ac.uk
Dr
Laina
Rosebrock
+44 (0)1865 618332
laina.rosebrock@psy.ox.ac.uk
Mrs
Ariane
Beckley
+44 (0)7817236236
ariane.beckley@psy.ox.ac.uk
Psychosis with a current persecutory delusion
This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.
Persecutory delusions (inaccurate beliefs that others intend to harm you) (e.g. “MI5 and the police are trying to torture me” “My neighbours are out to get me and are spreading nasty gossip”) are very common in severe mental health disorders such as schizophrenia. People withdraw from everyday life. This seriously affects their mental and physical health.
Existing treatments often don’t work well enough. In the UK 150,000 NHS patients experience these distressing thoughts despite treatment. This is why the Feeling Safe programme has been developed. It is the outcome of 15 years of research and clinical practice. Feeling Safe was recently tested in a clinical trial with 130 patients with persistent persecutory delusions. The treatment was delivered by clinical psychologists over 20 sessions. Half of people achieved large benefits. Another quarter made moderate gains. These results provide great cause for optimism in the treatment of delusions.
The challenge now is to make Feeling Safe widely available. So, the study team have created a 6-month guided online version that users can access whenever they choose via smartphone/computer/or tablet. A range of mental health workers can support the delivery of the treatment over 6 months (both remotely and face-to-face). Six face-to-face sessions will be reserved for a key task: going out with patients into everyday situations to relearn safety. The new programme is called Feeling Safer.
By providing Feeling Safe in an accessible version for use across the NHS, the aim is to achieve substantially improved outcomes for the large number of people with persecutory delusions who have not responded sufficiently to current treatment. The study team now wish to assess the effectiveness of Feeling Safer. There is an initial cohort study of Feeling Safer, and then the main clinical trial that this trial registration confirms.
Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.
The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:
2025 Protocol article in https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40480660/ (added 09/06/2025)
You can take part if:
You may not be able to take part if:
1. A primary diagnosis of another mental health condition (e.g. substance use disorder) that would be the first clinical priority to treat2. Current engagement in any other intensive individual psychological therapy or a significant change in medication.3. In forensic settings or Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)4. Command of spoken English inadequate for engaging in the therapy5. Significant learning difficulties that would prevent the completion of assessments or the therapy6. A participant may also not enter the trial if there is another factor (for example, current active suicidal plans that need to the focus of intervention), which, in the judgement of the investigator, would preclude the participant from providing informed consent or from safely engaging with the trial procedures
Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.
This information has not yet been provided by the study team. You'll have an opportunity to discuss any risks and benefits that may be associated with this study prior to consenting to taking part.
Mrs
Ariane
Beckley
+44 (0)7817236236
ariane.beckley@psy.ox.ac.uk
Dr
Laina
Rosebrock
+44 (0)1865 618332
laina.rosebrock@psy.ox.ac.uk
Prof
Daniel
Freeman
+44 (0)1865 613109
daniel.freeman@psy.ox.ac.uk
The study is sponsored by University of Oxford and funded by National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.
Or CPMS 57021
You can print or share the study information with your GP/healthcare provider or contact the research team directly.
