The goal of this project is to evaluate an innovative psychosocial intervention package that will incorporate evidence-based treatment strategies to target the affective-motivational deficits, negative expectancies, and behavioral skills deficits that are central to the maintenance of negative symptoms. The intervention - called EnCoRE (Engaging in Community Roles and Experiences) - will include strategies aimed at teaching Veterans with schizophrenia and negative symptoms ways to (1) overcome deficits in anticipatory pleasure, (2) increase intrinsic motivation for goal-directed activities, (3) reduce expectancies for failure, and (4) perform skillfully in new social situations, all of which can impact implementation of new skills and behaviors. Rather than develop a new set of intervention strategies, the investigators will include within EnCoRE evidence-based strategies for these treatment domains. In addition, the investigators will collect qualitative information both from Veterans concerning their perceptions of the strengths, weaknesses, and barriers to participation in EnCoRE, as well as from a sample of mental health providers who work with Veterans with schizophrenia and negative symptoms, in order to inform a larger scale implementation trial should EnCoRE prove effective here.
The goal of this study is to evaluate an innovative psychosocial intervention package that will incorporate evidence-based treatment strategies to target the affective-motivational deficits, negative expectancies, and behavioral skills deficits that are central to the maintenance of negative symptoms. The intervention - called EnCoRE (Engaging in Community Roles and Experiences) - will include strategies aimed at teaching Veterans with schizophrenia and negative symptoms ways to (1) overcome deficits in anticipatory pleasure, (2) increase intrinsic motivation for goal-directed activities, (3) reduce expectancies for failure, and (4) perform skillfully in new social situations, all of which can impact implementation of new skills and behaviors. Rather than develop a new set of intervention strategies, the investigators will include within EnCoRE evidence-based strategies for these treatment domains. In addition, the investigators will collect qualitative information both from Veterans concerning their perceptions of the strengths, weaknesses, and barriers to participation in EnCoRE, as well as from a sample of mental health providers who work with Veterans with schizophrenia and negative symptoms, in order to inform a larger scale implementation trial should EnCoRE prove effective here. Following a short pilot to train interventionists and refine the manual, the investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of EnCoRE in improving ratings of negative symptoms, functional outcomes, and engagement in community activities in a sample of Veterans with schizophrenia and negative symptoms (n=108). Participants will be randomized either to EnCoRE or a health-related control group. These goals fit well within the objectives of the Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR\&D) program of funding research aimed at studying rehabilitation interventions focused on maximizing functional recovery and assisting in the integration of Veterans into civilian life. Specifically, the investigators will address the following Specific Aims: Specific Aim 1: Train therapists and refine the EnCoRE manual in a preliminary trial with 10 Veterans with schizophrenia and negative symptoms. Specific Aim 2: Conduct a randomized controlled trial (n=108, medium effect, alpha=.05) to test the efficacy of EnCoRE in producing positive changes at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up on the primary outcomes of negative symptoms and social and community functioning. Specific Aim 3: Examine qualitative interviews completed by (1) Veterans who participated in EnCoRE and (2) Mental Health Providers to determine aspects of EnCoRE that were perceived as more or less helpful, interesting, and valuable in order to make adjustments prior to conducting a larger, multi-site implementation trial.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
105
Engaging in Community Roles and Experiences (ENCoRE) includes evidence-based psychosocial treatment strategies to target the affective-motivational deficits, negative expectancies, and behavioral skills deficits that are central to the maintenance of negative symptoms. Behavioral strategies include motivational enhancement, psychoeducation, cognitive therapy, and social skills training.
Health \& Wellness (H\&W) will focus on health and wellness issues and education on ways to better manage health-related concerns following a basic structure that includes: review of the previous session's material, new educational content, and discussion/application. Topics will include: 1) Overview, 2) Physical Activity (3 sessions), 3) Nutrition/Healthy Eating (3 sessions), 4) Managing Fatigue/Sleep (3 sessions), 5) Relaxation (3 sessions), 6) Tobacco cessation (3 sessions), 7) Substance Use (3 sessions), 8) Medication/Side Effects (3 sessions), 9) Review (1 session), and Closing (1session).
Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms Motivation & Pleasure Scale (CAINS MAP) - 12 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the CAINS MAP scale from baseline assessment to 12 week assessment. This scale contains a total of 9 items, each with a range of 0-4. Scores range from 0-36. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 12 weeks
Social Functioning Scale (SFS) - 12 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the SFS from baseline assessment to 12 week assessment. In the present analysis, we used a total score for the SFS including all subscales except the employment subscale. Scores ranged from 13-213. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 12 weeks
Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms Motivation & Pleasure Scale (CAINS MAP) - 24 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the CAINS MAP scale from baseline assessment to 24 week assessment. This scale contains a total of 9 items, each with a range of 0-4. Scores range from 0-36. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed a second time following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 24 weeks
Social Functioning Scale (SFS) - 24 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the SFS from baseline assessment to 24 week assessment. In the present analysis, we used a total score for the SFS including all subscales except the employment subscale. Scores ranged from 13-213. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed a second time following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 24 weeks
University of California San Diego Performance Based Skills Assessment - Brief (UPSA-B) - 12 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the UPSA-B from baseline assessment to 12 week assessment. The UPSA-B has a range of 0-100 with higher scores mean a better outcome. In the present analysis, we used the square root of UPSA-B scores with range 0-10.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 12 weeks
Maryland Assessment of Recovery Scale (MARS) - 12 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the MARS from baseline assessment to 12 week assessment. Scores can range from 25-125. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 12 weeks
Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms Social Motivation and Pleasure Subscale (CAINS SMAP) - 12 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the CAINS SMAP from baseline assessment to 12 week assessment. This subscale has a total of 4 items each rated on a 0-4 score. The range of scores was 0-16. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 12 weeks
Role Functioning Scale (RFS) - 12 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the RFS from baseline assessment to 12 week assessment. Items are rated on a 1 to 7 scale. In the present analysis, we summed ratings of Family Network Relationships and Immediate Social Network Relationships as our measure of role functioning. Scores can range from 2-14. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 12 weeks
University of California San Diego Performance Based Skills Assessment - Brief (UPSA-B) - 24 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the UPSA-B from baseline assessment to 24 week assessment. The UPSA-B has a range of 0-100 with higher scores mean a better outcome. In the present analysis, we used the square root of UPSA-B scores with range 0-10.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 24 weeks
Maryland Assessment of Recovery Scale (MARS) - 24 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the MARS from baseline assessment to 24 week assessment. Scores can range from 25-125. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 24 weeks
Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms Social Motivation and Pleasure Subscale (CAINS SMAP) - 24 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the CAINS SMAP from baseline assessment to 24 week assessment. This subscale has a total of 4 items each rated on a 0-4 score. The range of scores was 0-16. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 24 weeks
Role Functioning Scale (RFS) - 24 Weeks
Differences in mean change on the RFS from baseline assessment to 24 week assessment. Items are rated on a 1 to 7 scale. In the present analysis, we summed ratings of Family Network Relationships and Immediate Social Network Relationships as our measure of role functioning. Scores can range from 2-14. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Time frame: Participants will be assessed following completion of the study intervention, an expected average of 24 weeks
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