BackgroundThe PRODIGY trial (Prevention of long term social disability amongst young people with emerging psychological difficulties, ISRCTN47998710) is a pilot trial of social recovery cognitive–behavioural therapy (SRCBT).AimsThe PRODIGY qualitative substudy aimed to (a) explore individual experiences of participating in the pilot randomised, controlled trial (recruitment, randomisation, assessment) and initial views of therapy, and (b) to explore perceived benefits of taking part in research v. ethical concerns and potential risks.MethodQualitative investigation using semi-structured interviews with thematic analysis.ResultsAnalysis revealed participant experiences around the key themes of acceptability, disclosure, practicalities, altruism and engagement.ConclusionsParticipants in both trial arms perceived themselves as gaining benefits from being involved in the study, above and beyond the intervention. This has implications for the design of future research and services for this client group, highlighting the importance of being flexible and an individualised approach as key engagement tools.