Emergence of insight in psychotherapy for early psychosis: A qualitative analysis of a single case study

OBJECTIVE

Engaging individuals experiencing early psychosis (EP) in mental health treatment is broadly recognized as a challenging endeavor, especially when persons with EP experience impaired insight or relative unawareness of the psychiatric challenges they face. With limited insight they may see little point to treatment and have difficulties forming an alliance with providers. Tackling the issues of poor insight in EP is further complicated by a lack of knowledge of the processes within psychosocial interventions that lead to improved insight.

METHOD

To explore this, qualitative methods were used to identify content, process, and therapist factors that appeared before and seemed to support insight in a patient experiencing EP as well as the frequency with which insight and psychological problems emerged. The case examined was a 6-month psychotherapy from a pilot study examining the use of metacognitive reflection and insight therapy in EP.

RESULTS

Five prominent codes were identified across 24 psychotherapy transcripts that appeared to support the development of insight: narrative details, interpersonal relationships, therapist curiosity, therapist support, and therapist challenges. These appear to have allowed for the emergence of psychological problems first and then finally insight into mental health needs.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Addressing metacognitive capacity in psychotherapy may allow persons with low insight to recognize psychological problems and then develop a complex idea about their psychiatric challenges. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Metacognitive deficits predict future levels of negative symptoms in schizophrenia controlling for neurocognition, affect recognition, and self-expectation of goal attainment

The recalcitrance of negative symptoms in the face of pharmacologic treatment has spurred interest in understanding the psychological factors that contribute to their formation and persistence. Accordingly, this study investigated whether deficits in metacognition, or the ability to form integrated ideas about oneself, others, and the world, prospectively predicted levels of negative symptoms independent of deficits in neurocognition, affect recognition and defeatist beliefs. Participants were 53 adults with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Prior to entry into a rehabilitation program, all participants completed concurrent assessments of metacognition with the Metacognitive Assessment Scale-Abbreviated, negative symptoms with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, neurocognition with the MATRICS battery, affect recognition with the Bell Lysaker Emotion Recognition Task, and one form of defeatist beliefs with the Recovery Assessment Scale. Negative symptoms were then reassessed one week, 9weeks, and 17weeks after entry into the program. A mixed effects regression model revealed that after controlling for baseline negative symptoms, a general index of neurocognition, defeatist beliefs and capacity for affect recognition, lower levels of metacognition predicted higher levels of negative symptoms across all subsequent time points. Poorer metacognition was able to predict later levels of elevated negative symptoms even after controlling for initial levels of negative symptoms. Results may suggest that metacognitive deficits are a risk factor for elevated levels of negative symptoms in the future. Clinical implications are also discussed.