Effort Expenditure and Negative Symptoms of Psychosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effectiveness of a brief coaching intervention to improve effort-expenditure decisions in individuals experiencing negative symptoms of psychosis
IRAS ID
247675
Contact name
Hamish McLeod
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 20 days
Research summary
Individuals experiencing psychosis often report negative symptoms such as anhedonia (lost ability to feel pleasure) and amotivation (diminished motivational drive). These impact various areas of everyday life, including decision-making and goal setting. When making decisions about goal choices, an individual will usually weigh up the potential benefits with the expected costs, e.g. the effort they have to expend in order to complete a task. In previous studies investigating effort-based decision-making in people experiencing psychosis and negative symptoms, most did not engage in effective cost-benefit analysis, thus failing to maximise their rewards. If we can understand these processes in more detail we can improve psychological treatments aimed at promoting recovery.
Using the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT), a simple computer-based task, we will investigate whether a brief coaching intervention can effectively improve effort-based decision-making in individuals experiencing psychosis. Forty people experiencing negative symptoms of psychosis will be recruited from inpatient wards across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde; testing will last for approximately one hour per participant and take place at the different hospital sites.
All participants will first be asked questions about their symptoms, mood, task motivation and capacity to experience pleasure before starting the computerised EEfRT task. Those in the intervention group will be given tailored feedback and strategic coaching half way through the task. We predict that this will lead to improved task performance in comparison with those in the control group, who will not receive any feedback or coaching.
Task and questionnaire data will be analysed together with a measure of functioning completed by ward staff. If the intervention is shown to be effective, similar coaching techniques could be developed for use in therapy and everyday care to help individuals experiencing negative symptoms of psychosis make better behavioural choices that lead to more reward in everyday life.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 02
REC reference
18/SS/0105
Date of REC Opinion
17 Aug 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion