A qualitative exploration of intimacy, romance, and sexuality in early psychosis: needs, barriers, and associations with recovery.

BACKGROUND

Intimacy, romance, and sexuality are associated with well-being in early psychosis, yet these topics are understudied relative to their subjective importance for people with psychosis.

AIMS: This study explored how individuals with early psychosis view and navigate intimacy, romance, and sexuality, and how these topics are conceptualized as part of recovery and addressed in mental health settings.

METHOD: In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 participants from early psychosis intervention programs in Ontario, Canada, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Our analyses generated three main themes and associated sub-themes, which included how intimacy, romance, and sexuality are addressed in mental healthcare (e.g., barriers, stipulations, strategies for approaching these topics), navigating relationships and sexuality in the context of mental health symptoms (e.g., experiences of stigma, symptom interference, a loss of relationships and opportunities), and recovery (e.g., future goals, the value of relationships).

CONCLUSIONS

Many people experiencing early psychosis see romance, intimacy, and sexuality as facilitators and indicators of recovery, which is discrepant with the lack of attention these topics receive in healthcare settings. Addressing illness-related barriers to intimacy, romance, and sexuality in clinical settings is necessary to support the diverse recovery goals of people accessing these services.