The aim of the present single-centered pre-post study is to assess the feasibility and to investigate the putative efficacy of an emotion-oriented group intervention for patients with psychosis. Patients with early psychosis in an inpatient unit receive a manualized group intervention focussing on emotional stability and emotion regulation (8 weekly sessions). Assessment will be performed at pre-therapy, post-therapy (after eight sessions and four weeks) and after a follow-up period of 12 weeks (8 weeks post therapy) and includes personal therapy goals and their realization, psychopathology, social functioning and emotion regulation skills as a putative mediator of change.
The aim of the present single-centered pre-post study is to assess the feasibility and to investigate the putative efficacy of an emotion-oriented cognitive-behavioral group intervention for patients with psychosis. Patients with psychosis in an inpatient unit are informed on the study and written consent is obtained. At start of therapy, psychopathological interviews and self-report questionnaires are performed. Participants are reassessed after the intervention of 8 sessions (approximately 8 weeks) and after a follow-up period of 8 additional weeks). Patients are enrolled in a manualized group therapy over 8 sessions including 7 modules. In the first session, group rules are obtained and individual therapy goals are elaborated and developed for each patient. In the next seven sessions, in each session a new module is presented to the patient and the skills are trained in training sessions and role plays. Module 1 informs on emotions and their role in mental health, module 2 informs on techniques/skills in order to cope with negative emotions more generally. In module 3, mindfulness is presented as a technique to reduce the impact of negative emotions on the patients' life and practised. In module 4, patients learn skills on how to reduce their vulnerability for negative emotions in general. In Module 5, patients learn skills on how to cope with anger, Module 6 teaches skills on how to cope with guilt and shame, Module 7 is presented in the last session and includes skills on how to improve general emotional stability and to prevent relapse. Training: Therapists are psychologists or psychiatrists that are currently in postgraduate training of Cognitive Behavior Therapy and received 8 sessions of additional training by the study PI. Primary outcome variables are attainment of the individual therapy goals of the patient (Goal Attainment Scale) and reduced general psychopathology (PANSS total score) after 8 sessions therapy. Secondary outcomes are depressive symptoms (Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia), social functioning (Role functioning scale), self-reported delusions (Peters et al. delusions inventory), self-reported persecutory delusions (Paranoia checklist), emotion regulation skills (Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire, Emotion regulation questionnaire, Emotion Regulation Inventory), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-esteem Questionnaire) and the Beliefs About Stress Scale (BASS). Furthermore, patients are asked to assess feasibility and acceptance of the group intervention. Emotion regulation skills and self-esteem are also tested as putative mediators of change.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
36
Eight sessions of group intervention focussing on information on emotion regulation, training of emotion regulation techniques and mindfulness.
University of Marburg, Faculty of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy
Marburg, Hesse, Germany
Goal attainment scale (GAS, Kiresuk & Sherman, 1968)
Patients select in an individual session with their therapist their most important therapy goal and mark on a scale from 0-100, whether it is reached at the present day. The mean score will be used (range between 0 and 100 with higher scores indicating higher values)
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Positive and Negative Scale Total score (Kay et al., 1992)
Interview to assess positive symptoms, negative symptoms and general psychopathology in the last week. Range 30-210 with higher scores indicating more pronounced distress.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Psychotic Symptoms Rating Scale delusions subscale (PSYRATS, Haddock et al., 1999)
Interview to assess present delusions and hallucinations, the related distress, conviction rate, frequency and problems in daily life caused by the symptoms. Range 0 - 28 with higher scores indicating more pronounced delusions
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS; Mueller et al., 1999)
Interview to assess depressive symptoms. Range between 0 and 44 with higher scores indicating more pronounced depressive symptoms.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Peters et al, Delusions Inventory (PDI; Lincoln, Keller & Rief, 2009)
Self-report questionnaire assessing endorsement of 21 delusions, frequency, distress and conviction rate in the last week. Grand total score, range between 0 and 312 with higher scores indicating more pronounced self-rated delusions.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Role Functioning Scale (RFS; Goodman et al., 1999)
Interview to assess role functioning, number of close relationship, community integration, work integration and community integration. Mean score of all four scores: range between 0 and 12 with higher scores indicating more pronounced functioning.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Paranoia checklist (Freeman et al., 2005)
Self-report assessment of persecutory delusions, frequency, distress and conviction. The total score will be used, range between 0 and 270 with higher scores indicating more pronounced paranoid symptoms.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire (ERSQ; Berking & Znoj, 2008)
Self-reported assessment of emotion regulation skills (e.g. mindfulness, suppression), Total score: range between 0 and 108 with higher scores indicating more elaborated emotion regulation skills.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ; Gross & John, 2003)
Self-reported assessment of emotion regulation skills (e.g. cognitive restructuring). The total score will be used (range 10-70) with higher scores indicating more pronounced emotion regulation skills.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Emotion Regulation Inventory (ERI; Koenig, 2011)
Self-reported assessment of emotion regulation skills (e.g. distraction). The total score will be used (range between 10 and 70 with higher scores indicating more pronounced emotion regulation skills.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE; Collani & Herzberg, 2003)
Self-reported assessment of global self-worth and self-esteem. The total score will be used (range between 0-30) with higher scores indicating good self-esteem.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Beliefs About Stress Scale (BASS; Laferton et al., 2016)
Self-reported assessment of illness perception. The negative stress beliefs score will be used (range between 0 and 32) with higher scores indicating more pronounced negative beliefs about stress.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy (approximately 8 weeks).
Feasibility and acceptance of therapy (Lincoln et al., 2012)
Self-reported assessment of feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.
Time frame: Change between start of therapy and end of therapy(approximately 8 weeks).
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