Exploring the Effect of Rumination-Focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy on Depressive Symptoms in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Phase: NA
Conditions: Randomized Controlled Trial
Sponsor: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

 
 
Exploring the Effect of Rumination-
Focused Cognitive Behavior 
Therapy on Depressive Symptoms 
in Patients with Schizophrenia: A 
Randomized Controlled Trial  
 
 
 
NCT04442893  
31 MAY 2019 (IRB1080909-01)  
 
 

Background  
Depression is one of the core symptoms in schizophrenic patients. Studies have 
shown that schizophrenic patients have a higher suicidal thought than the general 
population was due to depressive symptoms. Thus, the impact of depressive 
symptoms in schizophrenic patients demands significant attention.  
Aim  
The aim of this study was to examine the impact of rumination-focused cognitive 
behaviour therapy (RFCBT) on depressive symptoms, responses to rumination, 
personal stigma and hope in patients with Schizophrenia.  
Design  
The study was a randomized, controlled, single-blind study; non-probability 
sampling was used to recruit participants. The recovery ward of a specialized 
psychiatric hospital in northern Taiwan was used for field study. The second author, 
who did not contact the study subjects, used Random Allocation Software Vision 2.0 
(Saghaei, 2004) to perform 4-block randomization of the participants [20]. In the 
experimental group (EG), RFCBT was conducted in groups, and routine nursing care 
was maintained. The control group (CG) received health education in groups. A 
structured questionnaire, administered by 3 nursing staff members who were not 
researchers, was used for data collection; the questionnaire was administered 3 
times: before the intervention (T0), after the intervention (T1), and 3 months after 
the intervention (T2).  
Methods  
The study was conducted in seven wards of a psychiatric center in northern Taiwan. 
Eighty-five participants with schizophrenia were enrolled. The group allocation was 
conducted using a block randomization software program. The experimental group 
(n = 44) was provided with a 6-session RFCBT program in 12 weeks (at least 90 
minutes a session biweekly), while the control group (n = 41) received a 6-session 
psychosocial education program in 12 weeks (at least 60 minutes biweekly). All 

data collection took place between July 2019 and March 2020. A structured 
questionnaire were used to collect data on demographic data, Beck Depression 
Inventory II(BDI-II), Chinese Response Style Questionnaire-short form 
revised(CRSQ-10), the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale(ISMIS) and Herth 
Hope Index Chinese Version(HHI) at baseline, post-intervention and 3-month 
follow-up.  
Statistical Analysis Plan  
This study employed IBM SPSS Statistics 24.0 to analyze the collected data for a two-
tailed test with a 0.05 significance level. The descriptive statistics included mean, 
standard deviation, frequency, and percentages; the inferential statistics included χ2 
test, independent t-test and the generalized estimating equation (GEE) were 
employed to explore the effect of RFCBT on improving depression-related 
symptoms, rumination response, self-stigma and hope after controlling 
demographic data.