Finally, the amazing Professor Camilla Nord presents on interoception - including some cool lived experience work on body sensations, and work on disgust and gastric rhythms, alongside work on energy conservation. #BAP2025

So exciting! Congratulations Professor!

Thank you to all the contributors who gave their time and knowledge! And co-authors: Beth Longley @drhannahsavage.bsky.social @emilybagley.bsky.social @hugofleming.bsky.social @rachelcknight.bsky.social Isabel Lau @annalisewhines.bsky.social @sarahgarf.bsky.social @camillanord.bsky.social 🧵 8/8

It’s imperative to give patients a voice in the research process and focus our research on what has a real impact on people’s lives. We hope these findings are useful to clinicians and researchers, and anyone interested in this area. 🧵 7/8

Our mixed-methods approach involved two UK samples, one in person (N=25) and one online (N=47). Contributors had at least one mental health diagnosis and we recorded individual responses and group discussions. The in-person group generated priorities that were validated by the online group. 🧵 6/8

Small-group discussions highlighted four main themes:
1) Understanding aetiology
2) Attention to sensations
3) Factors relating to sensations
4) Effects of sensations
🧵 5/8

We asked about distress associated with interoceptive sources. Gastric and muscular sensations came out alongside cardiac and respiratory as of high importance and widespread prevalence. 🧵 4/8

We also asked contributors to report how their body was related to their mental health. Their answers were more varied and broader than those we typically consider in the field.

(Asked before telling them what we as researchers consider interoception to mean). 🧵 3/8

This is the first set of patient generated and validated priorities in this rapidly expanding field. In a transdiagnostic and UK-based sample (N=72).

The 10 final priorities cover three themes: Causes, Management, and Approach (see full list below, in no particular order). 🧵 2/8