Metacognitive Training in Schizophrenia

Delusions, Schizophrenia

schizophrenia, delusion, paranoia, psychosis

Over a period of 4 weeks, metacognitive training for schizophrenia patients (MCT), delivered both in a group and individually, is compared to cognitive remediation (CogPack training). Blind to treatment assignment, both groups are assessed before intervention and four weeks later with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), the Psychosis Rating Scales (PSYRATS) and cognitive tests. Delusion severity serves as the primary endpoint. It is assumed that MCT will improve delusion severity to a greater extent than CR in the course of 4 weeks taking medication into account.

Metacognitive training for schizophrenia patients (MCT) is a manualized group intervention that can be obtained cost-free online. MCT seeks to sharpen the awareness of schizophrenia spectrum patients on cognitive biases (e.g. jumping to conclusions) contributing to delusion formation and maintenance and conveys cognitive strategies to counter these. The present trial combines group MCT with an individualized cognitive-behavioral oriented approach entitled MCT+. Patients with schizophrenia are randomly allocated to either metacognitive treatment (MCT) or cognitive remediation (CogPack training). Blind to treatment assignment, both groups are assessed prior to intervention and four weeks later with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), the Psychosis Rating Scales (PSYRATS) and cognitive tasks. Delusion scores derived from the PANSS and PSYRATS serve as main outcome parameters. We also explore if MCT improves jumping to conclusions with a probabilistic reasoning task. To make results as generalizable as possible to a typical inpatient population, broad inclusion criteria are chosen. Patients are only excluded if age is \< 18 and \> 65 years and diagnoses do not meet criteria of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

Germany