Comparing Thinking Skills for Work (TSW)Home Practice Program With Traditional TSW Program
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Depression, Schizophrenia, Major Depression Disorder (MDD), Psychiatric, Psychiatric, Bipolar Disorder |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology, Pulmonary / Respiratory Diseases |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - Any |
| Updated: | 1/27/2019 |
| Start Date: | January 2017 |
| End Date: | December 2020 |
| Contact: | Susan R McGurk, PhD |
| Email: | mcgurk@bu.edu |
| Phone: | 617- 353-3549 |
A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Impact of Thinking Skills for Work (TSW)Tablet-based Home Practice Program on Cognitive Functioning and Work With the Traditional TSW Program
The purpose of this study is to determine if using a tablet computer, which is a very small,
easy-to-carry computer, to practice thinking exercises at home will help improve your
attention, memory, and problem solving abilities. All the participants will receive training
in the thinking skills for work program. But in order to determine the effect of tablet use
for home practice, half of the participants will be given a tablet to practice the thinking
exercises at home. All participants will be receiving vocational rehabilitation and have a
goal of getting a job.
easy-to-carry computer, to practice thinking exercises at home will help improve your
attention, memory, and problem solving abilities. All the participants will receive training
in the thinking skills for work program. But in order to determine the effect of tablet use
for home practice, half of the participants will be given a tablet to practice the thinking
exercises at home. All participants will be receiving vocational rehabilitation and have a
goal of getting a job.
The Thinking Skills for Work (TSW) program has been shown to improve cognitive functioning
and work in multiple studies in a variety of vocational programs. TSW includes agency-based,
computer cognitive practice facilitated by a cognitive specialist, and teaching of
compensatory strategies to manage cognitive challenges, which are integrated with vocational
services. Supplementing agency-based practice with home practice on a tablet addresses the
need and desire for more cognitive practice, which is expected to further improve cognitive
and work outcomes.
This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the impact of supplementing the traditional
TSW cognitive practice with home based practice of cognitive exercises using a tablet.. Fifty
clients enrolled in vocational services at Brooklyn Community Services will be recruited and
randomized either to TSW-Home Practice (N=25) or traditional TSW (N=25).
All the participants will be assessed at baseline, 6 months and 12 months on cognitive
functioning and symptoms; work activity will be tracked for 12 months; program satisfaction
will be assessed at 6 and 12 months. The study will establish the efficacy of using home
practice on a tablet to increase the number of computer cognitive practice exercises
completed by clients.
Study hypotheses: 1) Individuals assigned to TSW HP will complete more cognitive practice
sessions using COGPACK software than those assigned to traditional TSW; 2) Individuals who
are exposed to TSW HP (i.e., complete 6 or more cognitive practice sessions) will complete
more practice sessions than those who are exposed to traditional TSW; 3) Individuals assigned
to TSW - HP will show greater improvements in cognitive functioning at post treatment and
follow up than those assigned to traditional TSW; 4) Individuals assigned to TSW - HP will
show greater improvements in work related outcomes (number of job interviews, % obtaining
competitive work, weeks worked, wages earned) at post-treatment and follow up than those
assigned to traditional TSW.
and work in multiple studies in a variety of vocational programs. TSW includes agency-based,
computer cognitive practice facilitated by a cognitive specialist, and teaching of
compensatory strategies to manage cognitive challenges, which are integrated with vocational
services. Supplementing agency-based practice with home practice on a tablet addresses the
need and desire for more cognitive practice, which is expected to further improve cognitive
and work outcomes.
This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the impact of supplementing the traditional
TSW cognitive practice with home based practice of cognitive exercises using a tablet.. Fifty
clients enrolled in vocational services at Brooklyn Community Services will be recruited and
randomized either to TSW-Home Practice (N=25) or traditional TSW (N=25).
All the participants will be assessed at baseline, 6 months and 12 months on cognitive
functioning and symptoms; work activity will be tracked for 12 months; program satisfaction
will be assessed at 6 and 12 months. The study will establish the efficacy of using home
practice on a tablet to increase the number of computer cognitive practice exercises
completed by clients.
Study hypotheses: 1) Individuals assigned to TSW HP will complete more cognitive practice
sessions using COGPACK software than those assigned to traditional TSW; 2) Individuals who
are exposed to TSW HP (i.e., complete 6 or more cognitive practice sessions) will complete
more practice sessions than those who are exposed to traditional TSW; 3) Individuals assigned
to TSW - HP will show greater improvements in cognitive functioning at post treatment and
follow up than those assigned to traditional TSW; 4) Individuals assigned to TSW - HP will
show greater improvements in work related outcomes (number of job interviews, % obtaining
competitive work, weeks worked, wages earned) at post-treatment and follow up than those
assigned to traditional TSW.
Inclusion Criteria:
age 18 years or older; severe mental illness based on New York State Office of Mental
Health criteria; not competitively employed but want to work; enrolled in vocational
rehabilitation at Brooklyn Community Services; fluent in English.
Exclusion Criteria:
prior receipt of more than 3 sessions of Thinking Skills for Work (TSW) Cognitive
Remediation; medical disorder with known effects on cognitive functioning; inability to
give informed consent.
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