Autobiographical memory and recovery in psychosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Autobiographical memory functioning and response to inpatient treatment for people diagnosed with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
IRAS ID
212196
Contact name
Hamish McLeod
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, days
Research summary
People who are diagnosed with a Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD) make up a large proportion of people receiving psychiatric inpatient care. Many people stabilise and leave hospital quickly, but some people don’t respond to treatment and they have to stay in hospital for a long time or have repeated admissions. This can be very disruptive to functioning such as work, study, and relationships.
We don’t fully understand why some people get better more quickly than others in hospital. There is some evidence that psychological therapies can be helpful for people who don’t respond well to drug treatment for schizophrenia but the ways in which these therapies work is not clear. Some psychological therapies may work by modifying unhelpful thinking processes experienced by people with SSD, and this supports recovery of functioning and re-engagement with life roles. But, we need to understand what specific processes are the best targets for intervention.
The current study will add to the understanding of what differentiates people who respond well to treatment and those for whom schizophrenia causes much more chronic problems. In particular, we will examine whether the ability to remember past experiences in detail (autobiographical memory) and understand mental functions (metacognition) are key areas that should be targeted for improvement.
Up to 30 people diagnosed with psychosis will be approached to take part in tests of autobiographical memory and the ability to think about thinking (metacognition). Participants will also be asked about their symptoms. They and the staff working with them will also be asked about recovery. The tests will be carried out at the point of admission to an inpatient ward and around the time of discharge from the ward. This will allow a comparison of mental functioning at times when symptoms are at relatively high and low levels.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
16/WS/0258
Date of REC Opinion
20 Dec 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion