BACKGROUND: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services address anxiety and depression in primary care, with psychotic disorders typically excluded. Our previous research found 1 in 4 patients report distressing psychotic experiences (PE) alongside common mental disorders, yet little is known about their clinical presentation and impact on recovery. METHODS: We used the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences - Positive Scale (CAPE-P15) to assess the clinical presentation and symptomatic profile of PE within IAPT settings across three National Health Service (NHS) trusts, serving a diverse population in Southern England. We identified different classes based on the reported PE frequencies using latent class analysis. RESULTS: A total of 2042 IAPT patients completed the CAPE-P15. The mean age was 39.8 (±15.3) years. We identified five distinct classes of symptom profiles, findings that PE were common, especially self-referential and persecutory ideas. Prevalence and intensity increased across classes, extending to bizarre experiences and perceptual abnormalities in the fifth and least common class. Perceptual abnormalities were a strong indicator of symptom severity, with patients being the least likely to achieve recovery by the end of treatment. LIMITATIONS: Data were collected during a service evaluation. Replication of these findings across other IAPT services could prove beneficial. We did not collect information on negative PE. CONCLUSIONS: Patients seeking treatment for anxiety and depression in primary care commonly experience a wide range of positive PE. Self-referential and persecutory ideation were prevalent; perceptual abnormalities were infrequent. Providing information about prevalence and tailoring therapy may help reduce patient distress.

Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge UK; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust UK

Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge UK; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust UK; National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration East of England UK

Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge UK; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust UK; National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration East of England UK; Department of Kinanthropology and Humanities Charles University Czechia; Norwich Medical School University of East Anglia UK; Institute of Biomedical Research Department of Medicine University of Salamanca Spain

Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge UK; National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration East of England UK; Department of Kinanthropology and Humanities Charles University Czechia

Norwich Medical School University of East Anglia UK

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