Psychotic Disorders
Conditions
Keywords
SMS text messaging, Clinical engagement
Brief summary
Engagement with clinical services for youth with early psychosis represents a significant challenge, with up to 40% of patients dropping out of treatment in the first year. This has been linked to worse illness outcomes and represents a significant barrier to recovery for these patients. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of short message service (SMS) as a means of improving clinical engagement in early-episode psychosis populations by bridging contact between appointments with weekly check-ins/reminders. These weekly check-ins during the first year of treatment will serve as an additional opportunity to reach out to patients and give them a chance to do the same with their care teams, with patient responses triggering clinician follow-up if necessary.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALSMS text messaging - interactive check-in
Interactive SMS text message check-ins delivered once weekly to participants.
BEHAVIORALSMS text messaging - inactive control
Minimally interactive SMS text message delivered once weekly to participants.
Sponsors
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
16 Years to 29 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* between the ages of 16-29 * a diagnosis of an affective or non-affective psychotic disorder (i.e., Bipolar or Major Depressive Disorders with Psychotic Features, Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Other Specified Psychotic Disorders, Substance Induced Psychosis and Attenuated Psychotic Syndrome) * eligible for follow-up within the Slaight Family Centre for Youth in Transition early intervention service * within the first 6 months of treatment
Exclusion criteria
* involved in another intervention study * do not have a personal cell phone number
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Service Engagement Scale (SES) | 9 months | Clinician-rated treatment engagement and adherence (minimum score = 0, maximum score = 42, higher score indicates worse service engagement) |
| Appointment Attendance | 9 months | Percentage of attended clinic appointments |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Social Functioning Scale (SFS) | 9 months | Self-report measure of social functioning (minimum score = 0, maximum score = 247, higher score indicates better functioning) |
| Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP) | 9 months | Interview-rated measure of global functioning (minimum score = 1, maximum score = 100, higher score indicates better functioning) |
| Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LESQ-18) | 9 months | Self-reported measure of subjective quality of life (minimum score = 1, maximum score = 5, higher score indicates better quality of life) |
| Clinical Global Impression (CGI) | 9 months | Interview-based global rating of illness severity (minimum score = 1, maximum score = 7, higher score indicates worse illness severity) |
| Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) | 9 months | Interview-based measure of the severity of psychiatric symptoms (minimum score = 24, maximum score = 168, higher score indicates higher severity of symptoms) |
| Emergency Department Visits | 9 months | Number of emergency department visits |
| Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) | 9 months | Interview-rated measure of the severity of motivation deficits (minimum score = 18, maximum score = 72, higher score indicates worse motivation deficits) |
| Brief Cognitive Assessment Tool for Schizophrenia (B-CATS) | 9 months | Rater-administered measure of cognitive functioning (scores indicate standardized Z-scores with no pre-defined minimum or maximum score, higher score indicates better cognitive functioning) |
| Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-10) | 9 months | Self-reported measure of medication adherence (minimum score = -10, maximum score = + 10, higher score indicates better adherence) |
| Scale To Assess Therapeutic Relationships - Patient Version (STAR-P) | 9 months | Self-reported measure of the clinician-patient therapeutic relationship (minimum score = 0, maximum score = 48, higher score indicates better therapeutic relationship) |
| Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) | 9 months | Interview-based measure of the severity of negative symptoms (minimum score = 0, maximum score = 110, higher score indicates higher severity of symptoms) |
| Hospitalizations | 9 months | Number of hospitalizations |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed