Mindfulness Group-based Intervention for Early Psychosis: A Pilot Study
Condition: Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia
MeSH terms: Schizophrenia; Psychotic Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Recent research has suggested that mindfulness-based interventions for psychosis may be
      effective in reducing the negative symptoms of schizophrenia (e.g., social withdrawal, lack
      of motivation) and the distress associated with psychotic symptoms (e.g., hearing voices) and
      could lead to improvements in functioning and quality of life. However these findings are
      based on small studies that largely consist of patients with chronic illness. Little is yet
      known about the use of mindfulness interventions for young people recovering from their first
      episode of psychosis.

      The purpose of this study is to determine whether the Mindfulness Ambassador Council (MAC), a
      12-week facilitated group intervention promoting mindfulness skills and the development of
      emotional and social competencies, is an effective, feasible, and acceptable means of
      treating youth in the early stages of psychotic illnesses. Although the current study is
      hypothesis generating in nature, based on previous investigations of Mindfulness Based
      Interventions for psychoses (Chadwick, 2014), we are expecting that participating in the MAC
      intervention will result in improvements in clinical, cognitive, functional, and health
      service utilization parameters. Additionally, we expect that the MAC intervention will prove
      to be acceptable to participants and a feasible intervention for early psychotic disorders.
    

Detailed description: 
      The purpose of this study is to determine whether the Mindfulness Ambassador Council (MAC), a
      12-week facilitated group mindfulness based intervention specifically designed to promote
      mindfulness skills and the development of emotional and social competencies in youth, is an
      effective, feasible, and acceptable means of treating people in the early stages of psychotic
      illnesses.

      We intend to randomly assign 30 patients being treated for psychotic illnesses in an early
      intervention program to an immediate treatment intervention or a delayed treatment
      intervention. Participants assigned to the immediate treatment intervention will receive the
      MAC intervention at the onset of the study whereas those assigned to the delay treatment
      intervention will receive the MAC intervention after approximately 3 months in a treatment as
      usual control group.

      Participants will be evaluated at baseline, immediately post-intervention and at 3-month
      post-intervention on a number measures. MAC acceptability will be assessed through the Client
      Satisfaction Questionnaire and qualitative interviews, MAC feasibility will be assessed
      through recruitment, consent and completion rates, and MAC efficacy will be assessed with a
      number of clinical, social, cognitive, and mindfulness skill assessment tools as well as
      through changes in healthcare utilization before and after administration of the MAC
      intervention.

      Although the current study is hypothesis generating in nature, based on previous findings of
      Mindfulness Based Interventions for psychoses, we are expecting that participation in the MAC
      intervention will result in improvements on clinical, cognitive, functional, and health
      service utilization parameters. Additionally, we expect that the MAC intervention will be
      acceptable to participants and a feasible intervention for early psychotic disorders.
    

Intervention name(s): Mindfulness Ambassador Council for Early Psychosis (MAC-EP)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): MAC is a 12-week facilitated group mindfulness intervention promoting the development of social-emotional competence in youth created by Mindfulness Without Borders (MWB; www.mwb.org). A meditative practice, mindfulness focuses one's awareness on the present, acknowledging and accepting without judging one's feelings, thoughts, or bodily sensations. Each session has a unique focus (e.g., paying attention, practicing gratitude) and consists of facilitated group learning, discussion and mindfulness skills practice. Home assignments to help reinforce specific lesson are also assigned. Although MAC has demonstrated acceptability, feasibility, and promising beneficial effects in schools, it has yet to be implemented and/or evaluated in a clinical population. Its youth-focus and emphasis on building social and emotional competencies through mindfulness, in addition to teaching core mindfulness skills make it a promising intervention for youth recovering from their first episode of psychosis.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Mindfulness; Group Therapy