Clinical Research Directory

Targeted Health Dialogues for Individuals With Psychosis Spectrum Disorders

People with psychotic disorders are at a higher risk of premature death than the general population. Adverse lifestyle factors contribute to this reduced life expectancy; such factors may include high consumption of tobacco and other substances, physical inactivity, and obesity. These lifestyle factors increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer-conditions known as non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Primary care offers an evidence-based and cost-effective method known as "Targeted Health Dialogues" (Riktade hälsosamtal), aimed at individuals in their forties to motivate lifestyle changes. Previous studies indicate that people with psychotic disorders-particularly those with lower levels of social functioning, comorbidities, or concerns about stigma-frequently miss appointments at primary care centers, whereas in outpatient psychiatric care, they may establish long-term therapeutic relationships with specialist nurses. There is thus a need to evaluate the feasibility of using this evidence-based, nurse-led method-Targeted Health Dialogues-to support healthy lifestyle changes and reduce NCD risk among people with psychotic disorders receiving outpatient psychiatric care. The findings of this study will provide a basis for designing nurse-led lifestyle support interventions for individuals with psychotic disorders.

Adapting a Socio-cognitive Intervention to Early Psychosis Services

Social cognition (SC) is a broad term used to describe abilities we use to process/interpret emotional cues, others' and own thoughts/feelings. People experiencing psychosis may find dealing with social situations, and interaction with others challenging. Indeed, it is known that SC is impaired in psychosis and this has an impact on social life, ability to live independently, maintain social relationship, and work. Despite the importance of SC in everyday life of people experiencing psychosis there is not a treatment targeting this problem. The Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) is a 20-session group intervention developed in the U.S. to help people with psychosis improve their social cognitive skills. More research is needed because SCIT can offer advantages for patients and services in the NHS. This project aims to prepare some preliminary information for developing a larger study about adapting an adapted version of the SCIT in early psychosis services in SLaM. This adapted version could be shorter or modified on its content. The goal of this project is to gather information from mental health clinicians (e.g., psychologists) to have their opinions on the SCIT and how/if that can be adapted to early intervention services for psychosis. Interviews will be used to obtain this information. Results from this study will be to develop a larger study involving service users and testing the modified version of the SCIT.