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N/A N=22 Treatment

Skills Training to Enhance Vocational Outcomes in Veterans With Serious Mental Illness

Schizophrenia · Bipolar Disorder · Psychotic Disorders

Enrolled (actual)
22
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Mar 2023
Primary outcome: Primary: Bell-Lysaker Emotion Recognition Task Total Score — 14.8; 16.00 score on a scale — p=.08

Study Design & Population

Study type
Interventional
Phase
N/A
Interventions
Social Cognition and Intervention Training (Behavioral)
Age
Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
Sex
All
Sponsor
Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Primary completion
Oct 2018

Outcome Measures

OutcomeResultp-value
PRIMARY
Bell-Lysaker Emotion Recognition Task Total Score
14.8; 15.13 .69
PRIMARY
Bell-Lysaker Emotion Recognition Task Total Score
14.8; 15.13 .69
PRIMARY
Facial Emotion Identification Test Total Score
12.20; 12.4 .34
PRIMARY
Facial Emotion Identification Test Total Score
12.20; 12.4 .34
PRIMARY
Ambiguous Intentions and Hostility Scale - Hostility and Aggression Total Scores
2.20; 2.09; 1.61; 1.84 >.05
PRIMARY
Ambiguous Intentions and Hostility Scale -Hostility and Aggression Scale Total Scores
2.20; 2.13; 1.61; 1.79 >.05
PRIMARY
The Awareness of Social Inference Test Total Score for Part 3
49.25; 47.88 > .05
PRIMARY
The Awareness of Social Inference Task Total Score on Part 3
49.25; 48.69 > .05
SECONDARY
Social Skill Performance Assessment Total Score
4.16; 4.20 > .05
SECONDARY
Social Skill Performance Assessment Total Score
4.16; 4.20 > .05
SECONDARY
First Episode Social Functioning Scale Performance Total Score on Scales 1-7
78.88; 77.19 > .05
SECONDARY
First Episode Social Functioning Scale Performance Total Score on Scales 1-7
78.88; 77.19 > .05
SECONDARY
Mentoring and Communication Support Scale Subscale Total Scores
12.36; 14.50; 14.64; 15.86; 13.93; 13.07 .01 sig
SECONDARY
Mentoring and Communication Support Scale Subscale Total Scores
12.36; 14.50; 14.64; 15.86; 13.93; 13.07 .01 sig
SECONDARY
Vocational Efficacy in Trauma Survivors Scale Self Disclosure and Workplace Coping Total Scores
13.14; 14.29; 24.00; 25.36 .09
SECONDARY
Vocational Efficacy in Trauma Survivors Scale Self Disclosure and Workplace Coping Subscale Total Scores
13.14; 24.00; 12.48; 24.00 > .05

Summary

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 participants between 18-70 with serious mental illness (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder) are assigned to 12 weeks of supported SCIT. Intervention will consist of one 2-hour small group training sessions and 30 minutes 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 (3-month), and follow-up (6-month) 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. 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.

Eligibility Criteria

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
View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02663349). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.

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