Alcohol use and suicide-related outcomes in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

Suicide is the leading cause of unnatural death among people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Alcohol use is a prevalent comorbid feature of schizophrenia and a modifiable risk factor for suicide. We conducted a prospectively registered (PROSPERO, CRD42022358214) systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the relationship between alcohol use and suicide-related outcomes in schizophrenia.We searched Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO for cross-sectional, case-control and longitudinal studies using exhaustive terms from database inception to December 2022 inclusive. Computation of odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs) were performed using a random-effects model with DerSimonian-Laird estimation. We also evaluated publication bias, study quality, and performed subgroup analysis and meta-regression. Fifty studies, comprising 65 samples, met eligibility criteria. Overall, alcohol use was associated with suicide (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.21-1.58; HR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.00-1.74), attempted suicide (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.45-1.98), and suicidal ideation (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.22-2.34). While there was no evidence of publication bias, between-sample heterogeneity was moderate in analyses of attempted suicide (I2 = 39.6%, p = 0.01) and suicidal ideation (I2 = 56.0%, p = 0.01). Summary effects were significant in all subgroups except for longitudinal studies of attempted suicide (OR 1.60, 95% CI 0.86-3.00) and studies of suicidal ideation using gender combined samples (OR 1.63, 95% CI 0.99-2.67). Alcohol use is significantly associated with suicide-related outcomes in schizophrenia. Clinicians should routinely inquire about alcohol use in mental health services to focus preventative treatment efforts.

Influence of perceived harm due to substance use on the relationships between positive psychotic experiences and suicidal experiences in people with non-affective psychosis.

BACKGROUND: The ways in which perceived harm due to substance use affects relationships between psychotic and suicidal experiences are poorly understood. The goal of the current study was to redress this gap by investigating the moderating effects of harm due to substance use on pathways involving positive psychotic symptoms, the perceived cognitive-emotional sequelae of those symptoms, and suicidal ideation. METHOD: The design was cross-sectional. Mediation and moderated mediation pathways were tested. The predictor was severity of positive psychotic symptoms. Cognitive interpretative and emotional characteristics of both auditory hallucinations and delusions were mediators. Suicidal ideation was the outcome variable. General symptoms associated with severe mental health problems were statistically controlled for. RESULTS: There was evidence of an indirect pathway between positive psychotic symptom severity and suicidal ideation via cognitive interpretation and emotional characteristics of both auditory hallucinations and delusions. Harm due to drug use, but not alcohol use, moderated the indirect pathway involving delusions such that it was most prominent when harm due to drug use was at medium-to-high levels. The components of suicidal ideation that were most strongly affected by this moderated indirect pathway were active intent, passive desire, and lack of deterrents. CONCLUSIONS: From both scientific and therapy development perspectives, it is important to understand the complex interplay between, not only the presence of auditory hallucinations and delusions, but the ensuing cognitive and emotional consequences of those experiences which, when combined with harm associated with substance use, in particular drug use, can escalate suicidal thoughts and acts.

Ensuring that psychological interventions are delivered as intended on mental health inpatient wards.

OBJECTIVES: Talk, Understand and Listen for InPatient Settings (TULIPS) was a multi-centred randomized control trial of an intervention that aimed to increase patient access to psychological therapies on acute mental health wards. This paper aims to: (i) describe a strategy for designing a psychological intervention that is implementable in inpatient mental health settings; (ii) describe methods for assessing the fidelity of interventions within these settings; (iii) report on the extent to which fidelity was achieved in the TULIPS trial. METHODS: The TULIPS intervention was designed using information from a systematic review, stakeholder interviews, pilot work and a consensus workshop. We assessed fidelity to the model in terms of the delivery and dose of essential elements of the intervention, quality of intervention delivery, engagement of participants with the intervention and differentiation between the intervention and usual care. RESULTS: Although the TULIPS intervention targeted known barriers to the delivery of psychological interventions on mental health wards, we found issues in implementing aspects of the intervention that were dependent upon the participation of members of the multidisciplinary team. Psychologists were able to overcome barriers to delivering individual therapy to patients as this provision was not reliant on the availability of other staff. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention period in the study was 6 months. A greater period of time with a critical mass of psychological practitioners is needed to embed psychological interventions on inpatient wards. Our fidelity framework and assessment methods can be used by other researchers implementing and testing psychological therapies within inpatient environments.

The interplay between suicidal experiences, psychotic experiences and interpersonal relationships: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Suicidal thoughts, acts, plans and deaths are considerably more prevalent in people with non-affective psychosis, including schizophrenia, compared to the general population. Social isolation and interpersonal difficulties have been implicated in pathways which underpin suicidal experiences in people with severe mental health problems. However, the interactions between psychotic experiences, such as hallucinations and paranoia, suicidal experiences, and the presence, and indeed, absence of interpersonal relationships is poorly understood and insufficiently explored. The current study sought to contribute to this understanding. METHODS: An inductive thematic analysis was conducted on transcripts of 22, individual, semi-structured interviews with adult participants who had both non-affective psychosis and recent suicidal experiences. A purposive sampling strategy was used. Trustworthiness of the analysis was assured with researcher triangulation. RESULTS: Participants relayed both positive and negative experiences of interpersonal relationships. A novel conceptual model is presented reflecting a highly complex interplay between a range of different suicidal experiences, psychosis, and aspects of interpersonal relationships. Three themes fed into this interplay, depicting dynamics between perceptions of i. not mattering and mattering, ii. becoming disconnected from other people, and iii. constraints versus freedom associated with sharing suicidal and psychotic experiences with others. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a detailed insight into ways in which interpersonal relationships are perceived to interact with psychotic and suicidal experiences in ways that can be both beneficial and challenging. This is important from scientific and clinical perspectives for understanding the complex pathways involved in suicidal experiences. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03114917), 14th April 2017. ISRCTN (reference ISRCTN17776666 .); 5th June 2017). Registration was recorded prior to participant recruitment commencing.

Exploring engagement with the CBT-informed Actissist smartphone application for early psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with psychosis report favourable attitudes towards psychological interventions delivered via smartphone apps. Evidence for acceptability, safety, feasibility and efficacy is promising but in-depth reporting of app engagement in trials is sparse. AIMS: To examine how people with psychosis engaged with the cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)-informed Actissist app over a 12-week intervention period, and to examine factors associated with app engagement. METHODS: Secondary data from participants in the intervention arm (n = 24) of a proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial of the Actissist app were analysed. The app prompted participants to engage with app-based CBT-informed material in five domains (voices, socialization, cannabis use, paranoia, perceived criticism) at pseudo-random intervals (three notifications per day, six days per week). Participants could self-initiate use any time. App use was financially incentivised. RESULTS: Participants responded to 47% of app notifications. Most app engagements (87%) were app-initiated rather than self-initiated. Participants engaged most with the voices domain, then paranoia. Age and employment status were significantly associated with overall app engagement. CONCLUSION: Individuals with psychosis engaged well with Actissist, particularly with areas focussing on voice-hearing and paranoia. App-generated reminders successfully prompted app engagement. As financial incentives may have increased app engagement, future studies of non-incentivized engagement in larger samples are needed.

A cluster randomised controlled trial of a ward-based intervention to improve access to psychologically-informed care and psychological therapy for mental health in-patients.

BACKGROUND: There is good evidence that psychological interventions improve patient well-being and independent living, but patients on acute mental health wards often do not have access to evidence-based psychological therapies which are strongly advised by NICE guidance for severe mental health problems. The overall aim of this programme of work is to increase patient access to psychological therapies on acute mental health inpatient wards. Stage one of the programme (which is complete) aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to delivering therapy in these settings through a large qualitative study. The key output of stage one was an intervention protocol that is designed to be delivered on acute wards to increase patient access to psychologically-informed care and therapy. Stage two of the programme aims to test the effects of the intervention on patient wellbeing and serious incidents on the ward (primary outcomes), patient social functioning and symptoms, staff burnout, ward atmosphere from staff and patient perspectives and cost effectiveness of the intervention (secondary outcomes). METHODS: The study is a single blind, pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial and will recruit thirty-four wards across England that will be randomised to receive the new intervention plus treatment as usual, or treatment as usual only. Primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline and 6-month and 9-month follow-ups, with serious incidents on the ward collected at an additional 3-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: The key output will be a potentially effective and cost-effective ward-based psychological intervention that increases patient access to psychological therapy in inpatient settings, is feasible to deliver in inpatient settings and is acceptable to patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03950388. Registered 15th May 2019. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03950388.

The role of attachment, coping style and reasons for substance use in substance users with psychosis.

Seventy substance users with psychosis who were participating in a clinical trial of a psychological therapy for psychosis were additionally assessed for attachment, coping styles and self-reported reasons for substance use in order to test a hypothesized sequential mediation model. In this model the relationship between insecure attachment and problematic substance use was assumed to be sequentially mediated by dysfunctional coping and the use of substances to cope with distress. Hypothesized associations between insecure-avoidant attachment and substance use were not supported, but the relationship between insecure-anxious attachment and problematic substance use was confirmed and found to be fully mediated by dysfunctional coping and coping reasons for use. Findings suggest that fostering secure attachments in people with psychosis might promote more successful coping and could prevent or reduce substance use related problems in this group.

Therapeutic alliance in psychological therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic alliance is a key element of successful therapy. Despite being particularly relevant in people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), due to fear, mistrust and avoidance, there has not yet been a comprehensive systematic review of therapeutic alliance in this population. This review explored (a) variables which may predict alliance and (b) whether alliance predicts PTSD outcomes. METHOD: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, the review identified 34 eligible studies. Studies were subjected to a quality assessment. Predictors of alliance were considered in a narrative synthesis. Twelve studies were entered into a meta-analysis of the association between therapeutic alliance and PTSD outcomes. RESULTS: There was some evidence for individual variables including attachment, coping styles and psychophysiological variables predicting the alliance. Therapy variables did not predict alliance. The therapeutic alliance was found to significantly predict PTSD outcomes, with an aggregated effect size of r = -.34, across both in-person and remote therapies. LIMITATIONS: Included studies were restricted to peer-reviewed, English language studies. Quality of included studies was mostly rated weak to moderate, primarily reflecting issues with selection bias in this area of research. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first review to demonstrate that therapeutic alliance is a consistent predictor of PTSD outcomes, in both in-person and remote therapies, and the effect appears at least as strong as in other populations. This is of relevance to clinicians working with traumatized populations. The review identified a need for further research to determine variables predicting alliance in therapy for PTSD.

The relationship between the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy and suicidal experiences: A systematic review.

It is well established that there is a fundamental need to develop a robust therapeutic alliance to achieve positive outcomes in psychotherapy. However, little is known as to how this applies to psychotherapies which reduce suicidal experiences. The current narrative review summarizes the literature which investigates the relationship between the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy and a range of suicidal experiences prior to, during and following psychotherapy. Systematic searches of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, EMBASE and British Nursing Index were conducted. The search returned 6472 studies, of which 19 studies were eligible for the present review. Findings failed to demonstrate a clear link between suicidal experiences prior to or during psychotherapy and the subsequent development and maintenance of the therapeutic alliance during psychotherapy. However, a robust therapeutic alliance reported early on in psychotherapy was related to a subsequent reduction in suicidal ideation and attempts. Study heterogeneity, varied sample sizes and inconsistent reporting may limit the generalizability of review findings. Several recommendations are made for future psychotherapy research studies. Training and supervision of therapists should not only highlight the importance of developing and maintaining the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy when working with people with suicidal experiences but also attune to client perceptions of relationships and concerns about discussing suicidal experiences during therapy.

"Sex isn't everything": views of people with experience of psychosis on intimate relationships and implications for mental health services.

BACKGROUND: The experience of psychosis and associated discrimination can be a barrier to forming and maintaining romantic relationships. Sexual health interventions within mental health services often focus on contraception and reducing risk. There are no known studies that seek to understand what support, if any, people who experience psychosis want regarding psychosocial aspects of intimate relationships. METHODS: To address this gap in the literature, qualitative data was collected to investigate how people with experience of psychosis conceptualise romantic relationships and what support they would like in this area of their lives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 mental health service users (four women, six men) with experience of psychosis. Interviews were analysed from a critical realist social constructionism perspective using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Stigma was a prominent theme, described as impacting numerous aspects of romantic relationships. Power imbalance within services meant participants were wary of having conversations about relationships with professionals and identified a therapeutic alliance as a prerequisite. However, abusive relationships were highlighted as a needed area for support by services. CONCLUSION: Services should be trauma-informed and help those in abusive relationships. The power and autonomy of people with experience of psychosis should be maintained in any discussions or interventions regarding intimate relationships. A strong therapeutic alliance is essential for any work in this area.

Psychometric properties of the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) in a longitudinal sample of people experiencing non-affective psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation is a key precursor for suicide attempts and suicide deaths. Performing routine screening of suicide precursors can help identify people who are at high risk of death by suicide. This is, arguably, an important suicide prevention effort. The aim of this study was to assess the validity, reliability, and factor structure of the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) in a three-month longitudinal study with people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or non-affective psychosis and experiences of suicidal ideation and/or behaviours. It was predicted that the SIDAS would have high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent, discriminant and construct validity. METHODS: Ninety-nine participants experiencing psychosis completed the SIDAS at baseline and 89 participants completed it 3 months later. Additionally, participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Defeat and Entrapment Scales. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the SIDAS were investigated in comparison to other constructs. Factor analysis was performed to examine the factor structure of the scale. RESULTS: Principal component analysis yielded a theoretically coherent one-dimensional factor structure of SIDAS, suggesting good construct validity (PCA = .71). The SIDAS had high internal consistency (α = .89) and good test-retest reliability (α = .73). It was highly correlated with other self-report measures, including the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Defeat and Entrapment scales, indicating excellent construct validity. CONCLUSION: The SIDAS is a valid and reliable self-report instrument for assessing the severity of suicidal ideation in a population of people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or non-affective psychosis. Further research should test the psychometric properties of the scale in individuals experiencing different mental health problems in cross-cultural settings, in order to establish its broader validity, reliability, and clinical utility.

Involving an individual with lived-experience in a co-analysis of qualitative data.

BACKGROUND: People with lived-experience of the phenomenon under investigation are seldom involved in the analysis of qualitative data, and there exists little guidance for those wishing to involve contributors at this stage of research. AIMS: To critically reflect on the process of involving people with lived-experience in a thematic analysis and to offer direction to other researchers. METHODS: An individual with lived-experience of residing in prison contributed to a co-analysis of qualitative data using thematic analysis. This paper reports on involvement at each stage of a thematic analysis and follows an established reporting checklist. RESULTS: A number of challenges and benefits were encountered in the process of co-analysing the data. These are discussed in relation to previous research and how to overcome the challenges encountered. CONCLUSIONS: The paper concludes by giving recommendations and guidance for future researchers wishing to involve people with lived-experience in qualitative data analysis.

The relationship between self-criticism and suicide probability.

The relationship of self-to-self relating and suicide has received attention in explanatory models of suicide. However, exploration of specific types of self-relationships, namely feelings of inadequacy (associated with perfectionism), self-attacking and the ability to be kind and nurturing towards the self has received limited attention in a suicidal population. The present study assessed the relative contribution of self-criticism to suicide probability, alongside established predictors of suicidal ideation; hopelessness, depression, defeat and entrapment. Participants completed measures of inadequacy, self-attacking, self-reassurance, defeat, entrapment, depression and hopelessness (N = 101). A correlation, regression and mediation analysis was undertaken. Results demonstrated that self-attacking has a direct relationship with suicide probability, alongside established predictors; entrapment and hopelessness. Depressive symptomology was not found to be a significant predictor of suicide probability in this population. Addressing particularly hostile forms of self-criticism may be a promising area in terms of future research and clinical practice. Entrapment continues to be a significant predictor of suicide risk and interventions that target this experience should be explored.

A study on the feasibility of delivering a psychologically informed ward-based intervention on an acute mental health ward.

Acute mental health inpatient wards have been criticized for being nontherapeutic. The study aimed to test the feasibility of delivering a psychologically informed intervention in these settings. This single-arm study evaluated the feasibility of clinical psychologists delivering a ward-based psychological service model over a 6-month period on two acute mental health wards. Data were gathered to assess trial design parameters and the feasibility of gathering patient/staff outcome data. Psychologists were able to deliver key elements of the intervention. Baseline staff and patient participant recruitment targets were met. However, there was significant patient attrition at follow-up, with incorrect contact details on discharge being the primary reason. Implementation of a ward-based psychological intervention appears feasible when implemented flexibly. It is feasible to recruit staff and patient participants and to collect staff outcome measures over a 6-month period. However, greater efforts need to be taken to trace patient movement following discharge.

A psychological intervention for suicide applied to non-affective psychosis: the CARMS (Cognitive AppRoaches to coMbatting Suicidality) randomised controlled trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a leading cause of death globally. Suicide deaths are elevated in those experiencing severe mental health problems, including schizophrenia. Psychological talking therapies are a potentially effective means of alleviating suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts. However, talking therapies need to i) focus on suicidal experiences directly and explicitly, and ii) be based on testable psychological mechanisms. The Cognitive AppRoaches to coMbatting Suicidality (CARMS) project is a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) which aims to investigate both the efficacy and the underlying mechanisms of a psychological talking therapy for people who have been recently suicidal and have non-affective psychosis. METHODS: The CARMS trial is a two-armed single-blind RCT comparing a psychological talking therapy (Cognitive Behavioural Suicide Prevention for psychosis [CBSPp]) plus Treatment As Usual (TAU) with TAU alone. There are primary and secondary suicidality outcome variables, plus mechanistic, clinical, and health economic outcomes measured over time. The primary outcome is a measure of suicidal ideation at 6 months after baseline. The target sample size is 250, with approximately 125 randomised to each arm of the trial, and an assumption of up to 25% attrition. Hence, the overall recruitment target is up to 333. An intention to treat analysis will be used with primary stratification based on National Health Service (NHS) recruitment site and antidepressant prescription medication. Recruitment will be from NHS mental health services in the North West of England, UK. Participants must be 18 or over; be under the care of mental health services; have mental health problems which meet ICD-10 non-affective psychosis criteria; and have experienced self-reported suicidal thoughts, plans, and/or attempts in the 3 months prior to recruitment. Nested qualitative work will investigate the pathways to suicidality, experiences of the therapy, and identify potential implementation challenges beyond a trial setting as perceived by numerous stake-holders. DISCUSSION: This trial has important implications for countering suicidal experiences for people with psychosis. It will provide definitive evidence about the efficacy of the CBSPp therapy; the psychological mechanisms which lead to suicidal experiences; and provide an understanding of what is required to implement the intervention into services should it be efficacious. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03114917), 14th April 2017. ISRCTN (reference ISRCTN17776666 https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN17776666); 5th June 2017). Registration was recorded prior to participant recruitment commencing.

Understanding individuals' subjective experiences of negative symptoms of schizophrenia: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia often experience both positive and negative symptoms. Negative symptoms can be disabling and have a serious impact on everyday functioning. Despite the range of clinician-rated measurement tools used to assess negative symptoms, very little is known about how individuals subjectively experience these symptoms. This study sought to examine, using qualitative methods, how people living with a diagnosis of schizophrenia subjectively experience negative symptoms. DESIGN: Qualitative study. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who were experiencing negative symptoms. The sample was recruited from community and inpatient National Health Service mental health settings in the United Kingdom. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twenty individuals took part. Individuals highlighted the persistent and enduring nature of their negative symptoms. Two central themes were identified: What it is like to experience negative symptoms and where have my negative symptoms come from? Within the first theme, four sub-themes emerged: loss of concentration, loss of motivation, withdrawal, and 'feeling but not feeling'. Within the second theme, four sub-themes emerged related to the causes of negative symptoms: impact of traumatic life events, positive psychotic symptoms, impact of social network, and recreational and prescribed drug use. CONCLUSION: Individuals, who experience negative symptoms, were able to articulate the persistent and disabling nature of negative symptoms and clearly described factors which they believed contributed to the onset, exacerbation, and amelioration of the experiences. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Negative symptoms for people diagnosed with schizophrenia are persistent and enduring and impact an individual's life. There has been little research conducted qualitatively on individuals' subjective experiences of negative symptoms. Individuals who experience negative symptoms attribute these to a number of factors, including adverse life events, recreational and prescribed drug use, an absence of social support, and positive psychotic symptoms. Understanding negative symptoms is important for services, clinicians, and family members, where misattributions made about negative symptoms can lead to such experiences being dismissed.

Characterizing core beliefs in psychosis: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive behavioural treatments are recommended for people with psychosis. Core beliefs regarding the self and others are a key part of the models underpinning cognitive behavioural therapy but detailed understanding of these putative beliefs in people with psychosis are limited. A greater understanding of these mechanisms is necessary to improve and refine treatments. AIMS: This study utilized a qualitative approach to explore core schematic beliefs in psychosis (strongly held positive and negative beliefs about the self and others) and their relation to hallucinations and delusions. METHOD: Twenty individuals with psychosis participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the interviews. RESULTS: Four emergent themes were identified: (i) the solidity and permanency of core beliefs, (ii) the causes and development of core beliefs, (iii) a synergistic relationship between core beliefs and symptoms, and (iv) core beliefs associated with images and their influence on psychotic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new insights into the range and character of core beliefs in psychosis and provides important data to guide ongoing and future development of treatment approaches for psychosis.

Barriers and facilitators to accessing psychological therapies for severe mental health difficulties in later life.

BACKGROUND: The number of people growing older with severe mental illness (SMI) is rising, reflecting societal trends towards an ageing population. Evidence suggests that older people are less likely to seek help, be referred for and receive psychological therapy compared with younger people, but past research has focused on those with mild to moderate mental health needs. AIMS: This research aims to identify the specific barriers faced by older people with SMI. METHOD: We interviewed 53 participants (22 service users with SMI aged over 50 years, 11 carers of people with SMI, and 20 health care professionals) about their views and experiences of accessing therapy for SMI in later life. RESULTS: Thematic analysis revealed five themes: organizational and resource issues; myths about therapy and attitudinal barriers; stigma; encouraging access to therapy; and meeting age-specific needs. CONCLUSIONS: Barriers faced by older people with SMI are not only age-related, but also reflect specific issues associated with having a SMI over many years. Improving awareness of the benefits of psychological therapies is important not only for older people with SMI themselves, but also for their carers and staff who work with them.

iMAgery focused psychological therapy for persecutory delusions in PSychosis (iMAPS): a multiple baseline experimental case series.

BACKGROUND: Many people with psychosis experience persecutory delusions and report negative schematic beliefs and intrusive mental images which may be maintaining factors for psychotic symptoms. AIMS: This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a new psychological therapy targeting schemas and images (iMAPS therapy). METHOD: The study used a randomised multiple baseline design. Participants with first episode psychosis were randomised using a multiple baseline design with 2-5 assessments. Six sessions of therapy, consisting of a combination of imagery techniques and imagery rescripting techniques, was used. In each session, participants completed a Mental Imagery in Psychosis Questionnaire (MIPQ) and imagery interview. Mood and delusional beliefs (PSYRATS) were also measured at each session. RESULTS: Five participants with first episode psychosis completed the baseline visits and attended all therapy sessions. One participant declined the final assessment. Results demonstrated significant reductions in negative schematic beliefs, delusions, imagery distress and other measures of schema (YSQ, SMI). Although multiple baseline randomisation strengthens the study, it lacked a control arm and blind assessments. CONCLUSIONS: iMAPS appears a feasible and acceptable treatment for psychosis, and further evaluation is indicated.

The development and assessment of a scale to measure the experience of an anorexic voice in anorexia nervosa.

The anorexic voice (AV) is defined as a critical internal dialogue, which has been implicated in the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). Systematic research to explore this further requires a valid and reliable measurement tool. This study aimed to develop and assess the validity of the Experience of an Anorexic VoicE Questionnaire (EAVE-Q). EAVE-Q items were developed and checked for face and content validity through cognitive interviews with seven individuals diagnosed with AN. Participants with a diagnosis of AN (N = 148) completed the EAVE-Q, sociodemographic questions and measures of mood and quality of life to assess internal consistency and construct validity. Forty-nine participants completed the EAVE-Q twice more to assess test-retest reliability. The EAVE-Q had good face and content validity and good acceptability. Principal axis factoring resulted in an 18-item scale organized into five domains with high internal consistency (α = 0.70 to α = 0.85). Domains correlated significantly with eating disorder symptoms, psychological distress, and quality of life. The EAVE-Q did not discriminate between participants on the basis of body mass index. Test-retest reliability was moderate. Although the factor structure of the EAVE-Q requires replication in other AN samples, the EAVE-Q is the first measure of a critical internal dialogue in AN. It is hoped that it will aid future research to increase understanding of AN and the continued development of person-centred treatments.