1
|
Barlati S, Nibbio G, Vita A. Evidence-based psychosocial interventions in schizophrenia: a critical review. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2024; 37:131-139. [PMID: 38410981 PMCID: PMC10990032 DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD) are severe conditions that frequently produce significant impairment in cognitive performance, social skills and psychosocial functioning. As pharmacological treatment alone often provides only limited improvements on these outcomes, several psychosocial interventions are employed in psychiatric rehabilitation practice to improve of real-world outcomes of people living with SSD: the present review aims to provide a critical overview of these treatments, focusing on those that show consistent evidence of effectiveness. RECENT FINDINGS Several recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses have investigated in detail the acceptability, the effectiveness on several specific outcomes and moderators of response of different psychosocial interventions, and several individual studies have provided novel insight on their implementation and combination in rehabilitation practice. SUMMARY Cognitive remediation, metacognitive training, social skills training, psychoeducation, family interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy, physical exercise and lifestyle interventions, supported employment and some other interventions can be fully considered as evidence-based treatments in SSD. Psychosocial interventions could be of particular usefulness in the context of early intervention services. Future research should focus on developing newer interventions, on better understanding the barriers and the facilitators of their implementation in clinical practice, and exploring the opportunities provided by novel technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Barlati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Nibbio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
van der Vaart AD, Ma Y, Chiappelli J, Bruce H, Kvarta MD, Warner A, Du X, Adhikari BM, Sampath H, Kochunov P, Hong LE. Revisiting delusion subtypes in schizophrenia based on their underlying structures. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 171:75-83. [PMID: 38246028 PMCID: PMC10923062 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
A clear understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and related spectrum disorders has been limited by clinical heterogeneity. We investigated whether relative severity and predominance of one or more delusion subtypes might yield clinically differentiable patient profiles. Patients (N = 286) with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) completed the 21-item Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (PDI-21). We performed factor analysis followed by k-means clustering to identify delusion factors and patient subtypes. Patients were further assessed via the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Brief Negative Symptom Scale, Digit Symbol and Digit Substitution tasks, use of cannabis and tobacco, and stressful life events. The overall patient sample clustered into subtypes corresponding to Low-Delusion, Grandiose-Predominant, Paranoid-Predominant, and Pan-Delusion patients. Paranoid-Predominant and Pan-Delusion patients showed significantly higher burden of positive symptoms, while Low-Delusion patients showed the highest burden of negative symptoms. The Paranoia delusion factor score showed a positive association with Digit Symbol and Digit Substitution tasks in the overall sample, and the Paranoid-Predominant subtype exhibited the best performance on both tasks. Grandiose-Predominant patients showed significantly higher tobacco smoking severity than other subtypes, while Paranoid-Predominant patients were significantly more likely to have a lifetime diagnosis of Cannabis Use Disorder. We suggest that delusion self-report inventories such as the PDI-21 may be of utility in identifying sub-syndromes in SSD. From the current study, a Paranoid-Predominant form may be most distinctive, with features including less cognitive impairment and a stronger association with cannabis use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D van der Vaart
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Yizhou Ma
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joshua Chiappelli
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heather Bruce
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark D Kvarta
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alia Warner
- Louis A Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaoming Du
- Louis A Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bhim M Adhikari
- Louis A Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hemalatha Sampath
- Louis A Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Louis A Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Louis A Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Constantinides P, Dauphin J. Mentalization Psychotherapy for Patients Presenting with a Psychotic Personality Structure: A Contemporary Approach. Psychodyn Psychiatry 2023; 51:76-97. [PMID: 36867182 DOI: 10.1521/pdps.2023.51.1.76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Overt psychotic symptoms, currently understood as resulting from both neurobiological and developmental etiological factors, are also associated with deficits in mentalization in a subgroup of patients presenting with psychotic personality structure. Neurodevelopmental and traumatic impairments seen in this subtype of psychotic disorders create a pressure or need for what has been called a transformational mentalizing process. This specific form of mental elaboration focuses explicitly on finding words and images that help patients to grasp their emotional and mental states. It thus differs from mainstream mentalization treatment, which puts a greater emphasis on reflective functioning. A psychodynamically informed mentalization-based individual and group psychotherapy for this subgroup of patients was developed, aiming at augmenting the patient's psychological resources through explicit transformational mentalization, rather than primarily targeting symptom reduction. This program stimulates curiosity about one's mental states, progressively aiming to give shape to and explore affectively charged mental states, and is integrated with other treatment modalities. This article presents a psychological model of psychotic personality structure and its psychotherapeutic implications, as well as clinical illustrations. Preliminary findings from a pilot study provide encouraging support for the model, including emerging reflective capacities and symptom reduction, as well as overall improvement of social and occupational functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prometheas Constantinides
- Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal; Department of Psychiatry, University of Montreal
| | - Julie Dauphin
- Institut Minerve, Montréal; Department of Psychology, University of Montreal
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bennett ME, Brown CH, Fang LJ, Blanchard JJ. Increasing social and community participation in veterans living with schizophrenia: A treatment outcome study. Schizophr Res 2023; 252:262-270. [PMID: 36682317 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
People living with schizophrenia often face challenges engaging in social and community activities. A critical barrier is negative symptoms that reflect diminished feelings and thoughts that support social interaction. Several years ago, we began a process of specifying an intervention for individuals with schizophrenia and clinically meaningful negative symptoms that could be delivered in an integrated fashion with mental health services offered in VA medical centers with the primary focus of improving social and community engagement. In the present study, we examined the impact of a multi-component intervention to improve social and community participation in a group of Veterans living with schizophrenia and negative symptoms. We compared an intervention called Engaging in Community Roles and Experiences (EnCoRE) - a 12-week program of individual and group meetings that support learning and implementing skills with the goal of helping participants increase engagement in personally-relevant social and community activities - to an active wellness education control condition. Participants in both conditions attended on average of at least half of the groups that were offered, indicating that many individuals living with negative symptoms are willing to participate in an intervention to improve social and community participation. Although there were no significant differences on the two primary outcomes, those in EnCoRE showed better social and general functioning at post treatment and improved social motivational negative symptoms and decreases in perceived limitations at a 3-month follow-up. EnCoRE may be especially beneficial for participants who endorsed more dysfunctional attitudes about their abilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie E Bennett
- VA Capital Healthcare Network Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System (Baltimore Annex), 209 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 20210, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 737 West Lombard Street, 5(th) Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America.
| | - Clayton H Brown
- VA Capital Healthcare Network Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System (Baltimore Annex), 209 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 20210, United States of America; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 660 W. Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America.
| | - Li Juan Fang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 737 West Lombard Street, 5(th) Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America.
| | - Jack J Blanchard
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Biology/Psychology Building, 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20742, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mahmood Z, Parrish EM, Keller AV, Lykins HC, Pickell D, Granholm E, Twamley EW. Modifiable predictors of self-reported and performance-based functioning in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and high levels of negative symptoms. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 151:347-353. [PMID: 35533518 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with schizophrenia who have high negative symptoms are at high risk for poor functional outcomes. However, the determinants of psychosocial functioning in this group are not well understood. We aimed to examine modifiable predictors of both objective, performance-based functional capacity and social skills, and self-reported functioning in individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and high negative symptoms. Fifty-five adults with moderate-to-severe negative symptoms were administered measures of neuropsychological performance, performance-based functional capacity and social competence, self-reported functioning, psychiatric symptom severity, defeatist/asocial beliefs, and intrinsic motivation. In the context of multiple significant predictor variables identified through bivariate correlations, multiple regression models showed that neuropsychological performance was the only significant predictor of performance-based functional capacity; neuropsychological performance and motivation/pleasure negative symptoms were significant predictors of performance-based social competence. For two different measures of self-reported functioning, intrinsic motivation, asocial beliefs, and diminished expression emerged as significant predictors. Neurocognitive ability was a better predictor of performance-based functional skills whereas motivation and beliefs more strongly predicted self-reported real-world functioning. The findings of this study suggest a complex picture of predictors of performance-based functional capacity (objective neuropsychological functioning) and self-reported functioning (motivation and beliefs), underscoring the clinical and scientific utility of including both self-reported and objective measures of functioning to identify treatment approach. Individuals with high negative symptoms and a cognitive/functional skills deficit may benefit from interventions such as cognitive remediation or skills training, whereas individuals with motivational difficulties may benefit from treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zanjbeel Mahmood
- SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, 116A, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.
| | - Emma M Parrish
- SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, 116A, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.
| | - Amber V Keller
- SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, 116A, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.
| | - Hannah C Lykins
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, 116A, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.
| | - Delaney Pickell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive (MC 0603), La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Eric Granholm
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive (MC 0603), La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Psychology Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.
| | - Elizabeth W Twamley
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, 116A, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive (MC 0603), La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, 116A, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
McLeod HJ. Splitting Things Apart to Put Them Back Together Again: A Targeted Review and Analysis of Psychological Therapy RCTs Addressing Recovery From Negative Symptoms. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:826692. [PMID: 35633793 PMCID: PMC9133443 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.826692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Negative symptoms have attracted growing attention as a psychological treatment target and the past 10 years has seen an expansion of mechanistic studies and clinical trials aimed at improving treatment options for this frequently neglected sub-group of people diagnosed with schizophrenia. The recent publication of several randomized controlled trials of psychological treatments that pre-specified negative symptoms as a primary outcome warrants a carefully targeted review and analysis, not least because these treatments have generally returned disappointing therapeutic benefits. This mini-review dissects these trials and offers an account of why we continue to have significant gaps in our understanding of how to support recovery in people troubled by persistent negative symptoms. Possible explanations for mixed trial results include a failure to separate the negative symptom phenotype into the clinically relevant sub-types that will respond to mechanistically targeted treatments. For example, the distinction between experiential and expressive deficits as separate components of the wider negative symptom construct points to potentially different treatment needs and techniques. The 10 negative symptom-focused RCTs chosen for analysis in this mini-review present over 16 different categories of treatment techniques spanning a range of cognitive, emotional, behavioral, interpersonal, and metacognitive domains of functioning. The argument is made that treatment development will advance more rapidly with the use of more precisely targeted psychological treatments that match interventions to a focused range of negative symptom maintenance processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hamish J. McLeod
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|