Date created: | Last Updated:

Category: Project

Description: The research aims to investigate the effects of an hour­long presentation on people’s ability to make decisions about their mental health treatment. The people recruited to the study will have a diagnosis of psychosis/schizophrenia. The presentation will be based on meta­cognitive training (MCT) for psychosis, which is a psycho­educational programme. Specifically, the jumping­to­conclusions modules of the MCT training package will be adapted for use in this study. It aims to reduce the jumping­to­conclusions (JTC) bias, which is a common thinking style of people with psychosis. It describes the tendency of those who experience psychosis to make judgements or decisions quicker and based upon less evidence. Research suggests that the JTC bias is influential in people developing psychosis. It has also been suggested that JTC affects the capacity (or ability) of people experiencing psychosis to make decisions about their treatment and to understand treatment options available to them. Participants will be randomly allocated to either of two groups: a) the presentation discussed above or b) a control condition consisting of a general psychology lecture. Both will be delivered by the main researcher. Condition B is designed only to give equivalent researcher attention between groups. The MCT presentation is not intended (or suggested by research) to significantly reduce psychosis symptoms, so is not intended as a therapy. Participants in each condition will receive equivalent time and attention. Decision­making capacity will be assessed using a psychological interview scheduled designed for this purpose called the MacCAT­T. Similar interviews and questionnaires will be used to measure the extent of the JTC bias alongside severity of psychosis, anxiety and depression. Participants in the study will be individuals identified as experiencing psychosis in contact with mental health services in NHS Lanarkshire, including community mental health teams, psychological therapy teams and inpatient psychiatric services.