Improving Romantic Relationship Functioning Among Young Men With First-Episode Psychosis: Impact of a Novel Group Intervention.

Previous research has highlighted many of the challenges faced by individuals with psychosis in romantic relationships. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of a novel group intervention for men with first-episode psychosis (FEP) on dating success, romantic and sexual functioning, self-esteem, self-stigma, mentalizing skills, and symptomatology, while using a repeated single-case experimental design and comparing results across two treatment modalities (i.e., in-person or online). Twenty-seven participants from five treatment sites completed a 12-week group intervention. Qualitative data was also collected to assess participants' subjective experiences with the program. In both modalities, significant improvements were observed for romantic functioning, mentalizing skills, and symptomatology, with effect sizes ranging from small to large. Several participants also attended more dates and entered committed relationships after the intervention. Most participants were satisfied with the program and many felt that they had learned new skills and gained confidence in dating. Future research should replicate these findings in larger and more inclusive samples.

Evaluating romantic and sexual functioning among persons with psychosis: Reliability and validity of two measures.

OBJECTIVE: Despite increasing recognition of the difficulties faced by persons with psychosis with respect to intimacy and sexuality, there is a lack of valid and reliable instruments to measure these areas of functioning in this population. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties (i.e., construct and convergent validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability) of two measures, the Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire (MSQ) and the Romantic Relationship Functioning Scale (RRFS), in a sample of individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. METHOD: Participants (N = 196) were administered a series of questionnaires online, with a subset of 40 respondents agreeing to complete the MSQ and the RRFS a second time at a 2-week follow-up. Confirmatory factor analyses were employed to examine the construct validity of both measures, while internal consistency estimates and correlation coefficients were computed to assess each instrument's reliability and convergent validity. RESULTS: The original factor structures of the MSQ and the RRFS were found to be acceptable, with αs ranging from 0.68 to 0.94 and 0.74 to 0.86, respectively. Test-retest reliability and convergent validity with other measures (First-Episode Social Functioning Scale [FESFS]-Intimacy subscale, Self-Esteem Rating Scale-Short Form [SERS-SF], Brief Symptom Inventory [BSI]-Anxiety and Depression subscales) were also demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Future research should replicate these findings in larger samples and other languages, as well as evaluate additional aspects of the instruments' quality. Clinicians may benefit from using these tools to better understand the intimacy needs of service users with psychosis and offer corresponding services. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).