Low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis: a pilot study.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Mental Health Services Research

Background:

• Access to psychological therapies for psychosis is often limited by workforce and organizational constraints.
• Low Intensity (LI) interventions, delivered by trained staff, offer a potential solution to improve access.
• This study piloted a novel LI intervention for psychosis targeting recovery goals, anxious avoidance, or depression-related inactivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a new Low Intensity (LI) intervention for individuals with psychosis.
• To assess the feasibility of training frontline mental health workers to deliver the intervention.
• To evaluate the impact of the LI intervention on therapeutic outcomes, including mood, functioning, and psychotic symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving twelve participants with psychosis and either anxious avoidance or low mood.
• Participants worked towards personal goals and completed assessments of mood, functioning, and psychotic symptoms.
• Frontline mental health workers were trained to deliver the manualized LI intervention.

Main Results:

• Eleven out of twelve participants successfully achieved their personal recovery goals.
• Significant improvements were observed in depression, clinical distress, activity levels, negative symptoms, and delusions.
• No significant changes were noted in hallucinations or anxious avoidance; staff and participant satisfaction was high.

Conclusions:

• The new LI intervention demonstrates preliminary evidence of effectiveness and feasibility for psychosis treatment.
• Frontline mental health workers can be trained effectively to deliver this intervention.
• A larger randomized controlled trial is recommended to confirm the effectiveness of this LI intervention and training program.