Incorporating Social Therapy Into Early Psychosis Intervention Improves Social Engagement

Despite considerable evidence showing the benefit of early intervention services on social recovery in people with first-episode psychosis, many will continue to experience severe and persistent social impairments. Astudy published yesterday inLancet Psychiatry suggests that combining early psychosis intervention with social recovery therapy may help to further improve patient outcomes, particularly in individuals who lack the motivation or ability to engage in existing psychosocial interventions.The social recovery program examined in the study was a three-step approach aimed at (1) establishing a working therapeutic relationship and assessing patient goals, (2) working together to identify ways to initiate meaningful new activities, and (3) engaging in new activities and fostering a sense of mastery and agency in the patient.David Fowler, M.Sc., of the University of Sussex and colleagues recruited patients aged 16 to 35 with non-affective psychosis who had participated in early intervention services for 12 to 30 months and had low levels of structured activity (defined as ≤30 h/week on the Time Use Survey). Structured activities assessed by the Time Use Survey include work, education, voluntary work, leisure, sports, housework or chores, and child care.The researchers assigned 155 patients to either early intervention services alone or in combination with social recovery therapy for nine months. After nine months, participants who received both psychosis intervention...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: David Fowler first-episode psychosis Lancet Psychiatry social recovery Source Type: research