Cavelti, Marialuisa; Kaeser, Janko M; Lerch, Stefan; Bauer, Stephanie; Moessner, Markus; Berger, Thomas; Hayward, Mark; Kaess, Michael (2022). Smartphone-assisted guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy for young people with distressing voices (SmartVoices): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 23(1), p. 902. BioMed Central 10.1186/s13063-022-06846-0
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BACKGROUND
The long-standing view that auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) or hearing voices is a sign of schizophrenia has been challenged by research demonstrating that they lie on a continuum ranging from normal to pathological experience related to distress and need for care. Hearing voices is more prevalent in adolescence than in later life, and hearing voices during adolescence indicates a risk for severe psychopathology, functional impairments, and suicide later in life. While there is increasing evidence for the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for voices (CBTv) in adults with schizophrenia, research on psychological treatments for youth with distressing voices has been scarce. The aim of the current study is to examine the efficacy of CBTv, delivered using smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessment Intervention (EMI) in a transdiagnostic sample of youth.
METHODS
This is a superiority randomized controlled trial comparing 8 weeks of CBTv-based EMI in addition to treatment as usual (TAU) versus TAU only. TAU covers both no treatment and any form of psychiatric/psychological treatment. In the EMI condition, participants will be prompted twice a day to complete an EMA survey, and receive one intervention proposal per assessment. One-hundred fifty-four youth aged 14-25 years with distressing voices will be recruited from psychiatric clinics, local private practices, internet forums, and advertisements in print and social media. Before and after the intervention phase, participants will undergo a 9-day EMA. Single-blinded assessments will be conducted at baseline (T0) and at 3-month (T1) and 6-month (T2) follow-up. The primary outcome is the distress dimension of the Auditory Hallucinations subscale of the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales at T1. Secondary outcomes include perceived hostile intention, power, and dominance of voices, passive, aggressive, and assertive relating to voices, and negative core beliefs about the self.
DISCUSSION
Adolescence provides a crucial window of opportunity for early intervention for hearing voices. However, youth are notoriously reluctant help-seekers. This study offers a low-intensity psychological intervention for youth with distressing voices beyond diagnostic boundaries that, using a mobile technology approach, may match the treatment preferences of the generation of "digital natives."
TRIAL REGISTRATION
German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00026243. Registered on 2 September 2021.
Item Type: |
Journal Article (Original Article) |
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Division/Institute: |
04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy 07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Psychology > Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy |
UniBE Contributor: |
Cavelti, Marialuisa (A), Käser, Janko Mario, Lerch, Stefan, Berger, Thomas (B), Kaess, Michael |
Subjects: |
600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health |
ISSN: |
1745-6215 |
Publisher: |
BioMed Central |
Language: |
English |
Submitter: |
Pubmed Import |
Date Deposited: |
25 Oct 2022 12:42 |
Last Modified: |
29 Mar 2023 23:38 |
Publisher DOI: |
10.1186/s13063-022-06846-0 |
PubMed ID: |
36274185 |
Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Adolescents Auditory hallucinations Ecological momentary assessment Ecological momentary intervention Experience sampling method Just-in-time adaptive interventions Therapy Treatment Voices Youth |
BORIS DOI: |
10.48350/174064 |
URI: |
https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/174064 |
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