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Video as a Tool to Improve Insight in Schizophrenia

Video Self-observation as a Therapeutic Tool for Improving the Insight of Patients With Schizophrenia Disorders

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02664129
Acronym
VideoInsight
Enrollment
60
Registered
2016-01-26
Start date
2015-12-08
Completion date
2018-12-30
Last updated
2025-09-30

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Schizoaffective Disorder, Schizophrenia

Keywords

schizophrenia, awareness, insight, video, self-observation

Brief summary

The deficit of awareness of pathology (or insight) is a common symptom in patients with schizophrenia and has a negative impact on the prognosis of the disease. Current treatments aren't effective enough on this symptom (Pijnenbord et al., 2013). Previous studies have shown a positive impact of videos of patients themselves on insight but they lacked power. This technique needs more investigation. The study aims to improve the patient's awareness of pathology with a video of themselves recorded in the acute phase of their illness. Patients will watch this video after clinical stabilization. This is a randomized controlled and single blinded trial. A population of 60 patients (30 in each group) will be included. The impact on the insight, symptomatology, treatment adherence and functional remission will be evaluated. The video of patient is useful for a personalized clinical follow-up. Its use for therapeutic purposes would be innovative and could be extended to other applications in psychiatry, especially as this tool is readily available.

Detailed description

In everyday practice in psychiatry, some interviews are filmed in order to follow the clinical course and for educational purposes. But the videos are not used as a therapeutic tool for patients. This research project focuses on the therapeutic potential of these videos and particularly on the awareness of patients of their disorder (insight). Patients hospitalized for decompensation of their schizophrenic pathology will be filmed during structured interviews. After clinical stabilization patients will be proposed to participate to this trial. A group of patients (G1) will watch the video recorded in the acute phase of their illness. A control group (G2) will have a usual care without video or specific therapy. 48 hours after, the clinical impact et the evolution of insight of patients will be evaluated. Then follow-up visits will also be provided at one and four months with the same clinical evaluation, plus an evaluation of treatment adherence and functional remission. This study also includes qualitative interviews for group 1 after watching the video to explore the experience of patients in this situation of self-confrontation. The autobiographical memory will also be studied in this protocol. Tolerance of this experience will be assessed by a monitoring of emotions, specifically depressive affects and suicidal ideation. Adverse events will be reported and patients will always have the access to a psychiatrist if necessary.

Interventions

OTHERVideo self-observation

Patients will watch the video of them in acute decompensation phase then they will be asked about their emotions, their understanding and awareness of mental illness

OTHERNon Self video observation

Patients will not watch the video of them in acute decompensation phase.

Sponsors

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes
CollaboratorOTHER
University Hospital, Montpellier
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder according to the DSM 5 * Age between 18 and 65 years * Patients initially hospitalized for acute decompensation of their schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder according to the medical records and any medical certificates * Patients who agreed to be filmed during a standardized interview at screening (in acute decompensation phase of the disease at the beginning of hospitalization) * Clinical state compatible with the therapeutic experience and obtaining consent with a score on the scale of PANSS positive symptoms of less than 24

Exclusion criteria

* Mental impairment moderate to severe * Central nervous system disease or severe head trauma * Chronic alcohol dependence * Patients hospitalized for a social problem or otherwise, without acute decompensation of their schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder as assessed by the referring psychiatrist * Patients deprived of liberty by judicial decision * Pregnant and breastfeeding women

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD)48 hoursScale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD)

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Cognitif Insight48 hoursBeck Cognitive Insight Scale
Positive Symptom48 hoursPositive and Negative Symptom Scale
Negative Symptom48 hoursPositive and Negative Symptom Scale
Insight48 hoursBirchwood Insight Scale
Autobiographical Memory48 hoursAutobiographical Memory Test
Medication Adherence48 hoursMedication Adherence Rating Scale
Functional Remission (FROGS scale)48 hoursEvaluation of quality of daily life
Depression48 hoursCalgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia

Countries

France

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 19, 2026