Skills Training to Enhance Vocational Outcomes in Veterans With Serious Mental Illness
| Status: | Active, not recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Schizophrenia, Psychiatric, Psychiatric, Psychiatric, Bipolar Disorder |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - 70 |
| Updated: | 3/15/2019 |
| Start Date: | January 2016 |
| End Date: | June 2019 |
Maintenance of employment is dependent upon being able to successfully integrate into one's
work setting. This can present a significant challenge to individuals with serious mental
illness, as they typically exhibit impairment in their ability to accurately perceive and
understand social exchanges. Presently the most established intervention is Social Cognition
and Interaction Training (SCIT), a 12-week group intervention in which participants learn
strategies to enhance emotion recognition and to assess the accuracy of their interpretation
of social interactions. To enhance transfer of training gains to functional outcomes,
participants will be paired with a social mentor to facilitate completion of homework and to
ensure that skills are practiced outside of treatment (supported SCIT). The study will
examine the impact of supported SCIT on social and work role functioning.
The specific aims are:
1. To assess the feasibility of providing supported SCIT to individuals with serious mental
illness who are engaged in compensated work activity.
2. To assess the impact of supported SCIT on social cognitive skills as well as work and
social performance.
3. To assess durability of intervention-induced change 3 months after the end of
intervention.
A single blind study will be conducted in which 60 participants between 18-70 with serious
mental illness (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder) are assigned
to 12 weeks of supported SCIT or an active placebo condition, a computer skills course. Each
intervention will consist of two 1-hour small group training sessions and 1 hour of
individualized supported practice of skills with a treatment facilitator weekly. Feasibility
will be assessed with attendance at group and individual sessions. Baseline,
post-intervention, and follow-up assessments will measure social cognitive abilities and
functional outcomes . Potentially confounding variables such as symptom severity and outside
treatment hours will also be assessed. It is hypothesized that supported SCIT will be
completed by at least 75% of veterans assigned to that condition. The intervention is
predicted to improve social cognitive skills and social and work performance. Training gains
are expected to be sustained 3 months after intervention.
work setting. This can present a significant challenge to individuals with serious mental
illness, as they typically exhibit impairment in their ability to accurately perceive and
understand social exchanges. Presently the most established intervention is Social Cognition
and Interaction Training (SCIT), a 12-week group intervention in which participants learn
strategies to enhance emotion recognition and to assess the accuracy of their interpretation
of social interactions. To enhance transfer of training gains to functional outcomes,
participants will be paired with a social mentor to facilitate completion of homework and to
ensure that skills are practiced outside of treatment (supported SCIT). The study will
examine the impact of supported SCIT on social and work role functioning.
The specific aims are:
1. To assess the feasibility of providing supported SCIT to individuals with serious mental
illness who are engaged in compensated work activity.
2. To assess the impact of supported SCIT on social cognitive skills as well as work and
social performance.
3. To assess durability of intervention-induced change 3 months after the end of
intervention.
A single blind study will be conducted in which 60 participants between 18-70 with serious
mental illness (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder) are assigned
to 12 weeks of supported SCIT or an active placebo condition, a computer skills course. Each
intervention will consist of two 1-hour small group training sessions and 1 hour of
individualized supported practice of skills with a treatment facilitator weekly. Feasibility
will be assessed with attendance at group and individual sessions. Baseline,
post-intervention, and follow-up assessments will measure social cognitive abilities and
functional outcomes . Potentially confounding variables such as symptom severity and outside
treatment hours will also be assessed. It is hypothesized that supported SCIT will be
completed by at least 75% of veterans assigned to that condition. The intervention is
predicted to improve social cognitive skills and social and work performance. Training gains
are expected to be sustained 3 months after intervention.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, or Bipolar Disorder
- Veteran
- Engaged in compensated work activity, volunteer work, school
- Age 18 to 70
Exclusion Criteria:
- Currently meet criteria for substance abuse or have met criteria for substance
dependence in that previous 6 months
- Have an estimated premorbid IQ below 70,
- Have a history of a clinically significant head injury or neurological disease
- Do not speak English well enough to comprehend testing procedures
- Do not demonstrate adequate understanding of study procedures to give informed consent
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