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Antipsychotic treatment beyond antipsychotics: metacognitive intervention for schizophrenia patients improves delusional symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 January 2011

S. Moritz ,
R. Veckenstedt ,
S. Randjbar ,
F. Vitzthum  and
T. S. Woodward
S. Moritz*
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hospital for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
R. Veckenstedt
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hospital for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
S. Randjbar
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hospital for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
F. Vitzthum
Affiliation:
University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hospital for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany
T. S. Woodward
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
*
*Address for correspondence: Prof. Dr. S. Moritz, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hospital for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Martinistraße 52, Hamburg, Germany. (Email: moritz@uke.de)
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Abstract

Background

Although antipsychotic medication still represents the treatment of choice for schizophrenia, its objective impact on symptoms is only in the medium-effect size range and at least 50% of patients discontinue medication in the course of treatment. Hence, clinical researchers are intensively looking for complementary therapeutic options. Metacognitive training for schizophrenia patients (MCT) is a group intervention that seeks to sharpen the awareness of schizophrenia patients on cognitive biases (e.g. jumping to conclusions) that seem to underlie delusion formation and maintenance. The present trial combined group MCT with an individualized cognitive-behavioural therapy-oriented approach entitled individualized metacognitive therapy for psychosis (MCT+) and compared it against an active control.

Method

A total of 48 patients fulfilling criteria of schizophrenia were randomly allocated to either MCT+ or cognitive remediation (clinical trial NCT01029067). Blind to intervention, both groups were assessed at baseline and 4 weeks later. Psychopathology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS). Jumping to conclusions was measured using a variant of the beads task.

Results

PANSS delusion severity declined significantly in the combined MCT treatment compared with the control condition. PSYRATS delusion conviction as well as jumping to conclusions showed significantly greater improvement in the MCT group. In line with prior studies, treatment adherence and subjective efficacy was excellent for the MCT.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the combination of a cognition-oriented and a symptom-oriented approach ameliorate psychotic symptoms and cognitive biases and represents a promising complementary treatment for schizophrenia.

Keywords

Cognitioncognitive biasesmetacognitivepsychotherapyschizophrenia
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 41 , Issue 9 , September 2011 , pp. 1823 - 1832
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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