Cognitive Enhancement Therapy vs social skills training in schizophrenia: a cluster randomized comparative...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Schizophrenia and related disorders cause significant disability, impacting social and cognitive functioning.
• Pharmacological treatments primarily address psychotic symptoms, not the persistent social and cognitive deficits crucial for recovery.
• Psychosocial rehabilitation is vital for improving community engagement and functional recovery in individuals with schizophrenia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET) and Social Skills Training (SST) in improving social and community functioning.
• To identify which psychosocial treatment, CET or SST, leads to greater improvements in social and cognitive deficits.
• To understand predictors of treatment benefit, specifically cognitive impairment and age, for tailoring interventions.

Main Methods:

• A randomized cluster design study involving clinicians delivering either CET or HOPES/SST to clients over 12 months.
• Weekly supervision and process measurement of treatment fidelity, attendance, satisfaction, and retention.
• Comprehensive assessments of social adjustment, quality of life, social skills, symptoms, and cognition at baseline, during treatment, and up to 24 months post-treatment.

Main Results:

• Hypothesized that CET would yield greater improvements than SST in community functioning, neuro- and social cognition, and social skills.
• Hypothesized that baseline cognitive impairment and younger age would predict greater benefit from CET compared to HOPES/SST.
• Ongoing study with results pending.

Conclusions:

• Identifying the most effective psychosocial treatment is crucial for optimizing functional recovery in schizophrenia, especially given resource limitations.
• This research aims to enhance clinicians' ability to match individuals with schizophrenia to the most beneficial psychosocial intervention.
• Expected outcomes include programmatic improvements leading to more significant and lasting gains in community functioning.