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Updated: Mar 21, 2026

Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
Effectiveness of group body psychotherapy for negative symptoms of schizophrenia: multicentre randomised controlled
S Priebe1, M Savill2, T Wykes2
1S. Priebe, FRCPsych, M. Savill, PhD, Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, WHO Collaborative Centre for Mental Health Services Development, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; T. Wykes, PhD, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, London, UK; R. P. Bentall, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; U. Reininghaus, MSc, DiplPsych, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, London, UK and Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; C. Lauber, MD, Services Psychiatriques, Jura Bernois - Bienne-Seeland, Bellelay, Switzerland; S. Bremner, PhD, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK; S. Eldridge, MSc, Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; F. Röhricht, MD, MRCPsych, Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, WHO Collaborative Centre for Mental Health Services Development, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK s.priebe@qmul.ac.uk.
Background:
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia have a severe impact on functional outcomes and treatment options are limited. Arts therapies are currently recommended but more evidence is required.
Aims:
To assess body psychotherapy as a treatment for negative symptoms compared with an active control (trial registration: ISRCTN84216587).
Method:
Schizophrenia out-patients were randomised into a 20-session body psychotherapy or Pilates group. The primary outcome was negative symptoms at end of treatment. Secondary outcomes included psychopathology, functional, social and treatment satisfaction outcomes at treatment end and 6-months later.
Results:
In total, 275 participants were randomised. The adjusted difference in negative symptoms was 0.03 (95% CI -1.11 to 1.17), indicating no benefit from body psychotherapy. Small improvements in expressive deficits and movement disorder symptoms were detected in favour of body psychotherapy. No other outcomes were significantly different.
Conclusions:
Body psychotherapy does not have a clinically relevant beneficial effect in the treatment of patients with negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
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