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Objectives: SlowMo therapy is a pioneering blended digital therapy for paranoia, augmenting face‐to‐face therapy with an interactive ‘webapp’ and a mobile app. A recent large‐scale trial demonstrated small–moderate effects on paranoia alongside improvements in self‐esteem, worry, well‐being and quality of life. This paper provides a comprehensive account of therapy personalisation within this targeted approach. Design: Case examples illustrate therapy delivery and descriptive data are presented on personalised thought content. Method: Thought content was extracted from the webapp (n = 140 participants) and coded using newly devised categories: Worries: (1) Persecutory, (2) Negative social evaluation, (3) Negative self‐concept, (4) Loss/life stresses, (5) Sensory‐perceptual experiences and (6) Health anxieties. Safer thoughts: (1) Safer alternative (specific alternatives to worries), (2) Second‐wave (generalised) coping, (3) Positive self‐concept, (4) Positive activities and (5) Third‐wave (mindfulness‐based) coping. Data on therapy fidelity are also presented. Results: Worries: ‘Persecutory’ (92.9% of people) and ‘Negative social evaluation’ (74.3%) were most common. ‘General worries/ life stresses’ (31.4%) and ‘Negative self‐concept’ (22.1%) were present in a significant minority; ‘Health anxieties’ (10%) and ‘Sensory‐perceptual’ (10%) were less common. Safer thoughts: ‘Second‐wave (general) coping’ (85%), ‘Safer alternatives’ (76.4%), ‘Positive self‐concept’ (65.7%) and ‘Positive activities’ (64.3%) were common with ‘Third‐wave’ (mindfulness) coping observed for 30%. Fidelity: Only three therapy withdrawals were therapy related. Session adherence was excellent (mean = 15.2/16; SD = 0.9). Behavioural work was conducted with 71% of people (119/168). Conclusion: SlowMo therapy delivers a targeted yet personalised approach. Potential mechanisms of action extend beyond reasoning. Implications for cognitive models of paranoia and causal interventionist approaches are discussed.

OBJECTIVE: Low self-esteem has been suggested as a putative mechanism in the development and maintenance of psychosis. Uncertainty still exists about how unstable self-esteem relates to psychotic experiences. The present study examines the potential (temporal) associations between momentary self-esteem, fluctuations in self-esteem, and psychotic experiences in daily life. METHODS: Experience sampling data were collected from 46 individuals presenting with an at-risk mental state (ARMS), 51 individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP), and 53 controls, to investigate associations between (fluctuations in) self-esteem and psychotic experiences within and across FEP, ARMS, and controls, using linear mixed models. RESULTS: In all three groups we found that lower momentary self-esteem was associated with a greater intensity of psychotic experiences (adj. βFEP = -0.15, 95% CI -0.20 to -0.10, p = 0.000; adj. βARMS = -0.20, 95% CI -0.26 to -0.15, p = 0.000; adj. βcontrols = -0.12, 95% CI -0.17 to -0.07, p = 0.000). Variability in momentary self-esteem was associated with a greater intensity of psychotic experiences only in ARMS (adj. βARMS = 0.08, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.11, p = 0.000) and controls (adj. βcontrols = 0.04, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.08, p = 0.023). For instability this association held only in controls (adj. βcontrols = 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.05, p = 0.020). Furthermore, findings may suggest a reciprocal temporal association between self-esteem and psychotic experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that self-esteem may be an important mechanism targetable by ecological momentary interventions to reduce the intensity of psychotic experiences and potentially prevent illness progression at an early stage. ispartof: SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH vol:238 pages:188-198 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

Objectives AVATAR therapy is a novel relational approach to working with distressing voices by engaging individuals in direct dialogue with a digital representation of their persecutory voice (the avatar). Critical to this approach is the avatar transition from abusive to conciliatory during the course of therapy. To date, no observational study has examined the moment-to-moment dialogical exchanges of this innovative therapy. We aim to (1) map relating behaviours between participants and their created avatars and (2) examine therapeutic actions delivered within AVATAR dialogue. Method Twenty-five of the fifty-three AVATAR therapy completers were randomly selected from a randomized controlled trial (Craig et al. The Lancet Psychiatry, 5, 2018 and 31). Seventy-five audio recordings of active dialogue from sessions 1 and 4 and the last session were transcribed and analysed using a newly developed coding frame. Inter-rater reliability was good to excellent. Results Fine-grained analysis of 4,642 observations revealed nuanced communication around relational power and therapeutic activity. Early assertiveness work, reinforced by the therapist, focussed on increasing power and distancing. Participants' submissive behaviours reduced during therapy, but the shift was gradual. Once the transition to a more conciliatory tone took place, the dialogue primarily involved direct communication between participant and avatar, focussing on sense of self and developmental and relational understanding of voices. Conclusions AVATAR therapy supports voice-hearers in becoming more assertive towards a digital representation of their abusive voice. Direct dialogue with carefully characterized avatars aims to build the voice-hearers' positive sense of self, supporting the person to make sense of their experiences. Practitioner points AVATAR therapy enables voice-hearers to engage in face-to-face dialogue with a digital representation ('avatar') of their persecutory voice. Fine-grained analyses showed how relating behaviours and therapeutic actions evolve during active AVATAR therapy dialogue. Carefully characterized avatars and direct therapist input help voice-hearers become more assertive over the avatar, enhance positive sense of self, and support individuals to make sense of their experiences.

BackgroundVoices are commonly experienced as communication with a personified ‘other’ with ascribed attitudes, intentionality and personality (their own ‘character’). Phenomenological work exploring voice characterisation informs a new wave of relational therapies. To date, no study has investigated the role of characterisation in behavioural engagement with voices or within psychological therapy for distressing voices.MethodsBaseline characterisation (the degree to which the voice is an identifiable and characterful entity) of the dominant voice was rated (high, medium or low) using a newly developed coding framework, for n = 60 people prior to starting AVATAR therapy. Associations between degree of characterisation and (i) everyday behavioural engagement with voices (The Beliefs about Voices Questionnaire-Revised; n = 60); and (ii) interaction within avatar dialogue [Session 4 Time in Conversation (participant–avatar); n = 45 therapy completers] were explored.ResultsThirty-three per cent reported high voice characterisation, 42% medium and 25% low. There was a significant association between characterisation and behavioural engagement [H(2) = 7.65, p = 0.022, ɛ2 = 0.130] and duration of participant–avatar conversation [F(2,42) = 6.483, p = 0.004, η2 = 0.236]. High characterisation was associated with increased behavioural engagement compared with medium (p = 0.004, r = 0.34; moderate effect) and low (p = 0.027, r = 0.25; small−moderate effect) with a similar pattern observed for the avatar dialogue [high v. medium: p = 0.008, Hedges’ g = 1.02 (large effect); high v. low: p = 0.023, Hedges' g = 1.03 (large effect)]. No differences were observed between medium and low characterisation.DiscussionComplex voice characterisation is associated with how individuals interact with their voice(s) in and out of therapy. Clinical implications and future directions for AVATAR therapy and other relational therapies are discussed.

AVATAR therapy represents an effective new way of working with distressing voices based on face-to-face dialogue between the person and a digital representation (avatar) of their persecutory voice. To date, there has been no complete account of AVATAR therapy delivery. This article presents, for the first time, the full range of therapeutic targets along with information on acceptability and potential side effects. Interest in the approach is growing rapidly and this report acts as a necessary touchstone for future development.

Virtual reality-assisted cognitive-behavioural therapy (VR-CBT) has potential to support people who experience paranoid ideation in social settings. However, virtual reality (VR) research using overt social environments is limited, and lack of qualitative studies on paranoid ideation in VR restricts understanding. This study aimed to use predominantly qualitative methods to investigate subjective experience of paranoia in VR and identify target domains for VR-CBT. Participants (N = 36) were non-clinical adults with high trait paranoia, who entered an interactive VR bar-room environment. After VR, they participated in brief audiotaped semi-structured interviews designed for measuring persecutory ideation in virtual environments. Researchers scored transcripts on the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States Non-Bizarre Ideas Global Rating Scale to rate the state paranoia represented by interview content. Thematic analysis of interviews employed superordinate themes of Social Evaluative Concerns, Ideas of Reference, and Ideas of Persecution to investigate participants' experience of paranoia. Mean score on the Non-Bizarre Ideas scale was 3.06 (standard deviation 1.24, range 1-6), indicating "moderate" attenuated-paranoid experiences. Nearly all participants reported Social Evaluative Concerns (N = 35) and Ideas of Reference (N = 32); half reported Ideas of Persecution (N = 19). Twelve subthemes were identified. Notably, participants believed they did not belong in the environment (N = 31), that they were the object of discussion (N = 20), and that they felt avatars were unfriendly (N = 27) and intentionally rejected them (N = 13). Subthemes reflect interpersonal and social processes that may constitute target areas for VR-CBT, for example, cognitive appraisals and social skills. Identification of these domains indicates how personalized VR-CBT may be operationalized.

Background\ud The SlowMo study demonstrated the effects of SlowMo, an eight-session digitally supported reasoning intervention, on paranoia in a large-scale randomized-controlled trial with 362 participants with schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis.\ud \ud Aim\ud The current evaluation aimed to investigate the impact of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in the SlowMo study.\ud \ud Method\ud PPI members were six women and three men from Sussex, Oxford and London with experience of using mental health services for psychosis. They received training and met at least 3-monthly throughout the project. The impact of PPI was captured quantitatively and qualitatively through (i) a PPI log of recommendations and implementation; (ii) written subjective experiences of PPI members; (iii) meeting minutes; and (iv) outputs produced.\ud \ud Results\ud The PPI log revealed 107 recommendations arising from PPI meetings, of which 87 (81%) were implemented. Implementation was greater for recruitment-, data collection- and organization-related actions than for dissemination and emergent innovations. Qualitative feedback revealed impacts on study recruitment, data collection, PPI participants' confidence, knowledge, career aspirations and society more widely. Outputs produced included a film about psychosis that aired on BBC primetime television, novel webpages and journal articles. Barriers to PPI impact included geography, travel, funding, co-ordination and well-being.\ud \ud Discussion\ud A future challenge for PPI impact will be the extent to which peer innovation (innovative PPI-led ideas) can be supported within research study delivery.\ud \ud Patient and Public Contribution\ud Planned Patient and Public Contribution in SlowMo comprised consultation and collaboration in (i) design, (ii) recruitment, (iii) qualitative interviews and analysis of service users' experiences of SlowMo therapy and (iv) dissemination.

Implementation of evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) remains low in routine services. The United Kingdom Improving Access to Psychological Therapies for people with Severe Mental Illness (IAPT-SMI) initiative aimed to address this issue. The project evaluated whether existing services could improve access to CBTp and demonstrate effectiveness using a systematic approach to therapy provision and outcome monitoring (in a similar way to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) model for people with anxiety and depression). We report the clinical outcomes and key learning points from the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust IAPT-SMI demonstration site for psychosis. Additional funding enabled increased therapist capacity within existing secondary care community mental health services. Self-reported wellbeing and psychotic symptom outcomes were assessed, alongside service use and social/occupational functioning. Accepted referrals/year increased by 89% (2011/12: n = 106/year; 2012–2015: n = 200/year); 90% engaged (attended ≥5 sessions) irrespective of ethnicity, age and gender. The assessment protocol proved feasible, and pre-post outcomes (n = 280) showed clinical improvements and reduced service use, with medium effects. We conclude that, with appropriate service structure, investment allocated specifically for competent therapy provision leads to increased and effective delivery of CBTp. Our framework is replicable in other settings and can inform the wider implementation of psychological therapies for psychosis.

Sense of presence is an important factor influencing the quality of the virtual reality (VR) experience. However, there is limited understanding of what factors affect presence in virtual environments. This study uses a qualitative methodology, specifically thematic analysis, to investigate factors affecting sense of presence in a VR social environment that has been designed for psychological assessment. After experiencing a virtual bar-room that contained interactions with multiple avatars, participants (n = 76) took part in a semistructured interview. Eight key themes and associated subthemes were identified: emotions about self (anxiety, paranoid ideation, and detachment), emotions about others (loneliness, retrospective emotions, and recognition of self), thoughts about self (memories and social judgment), thoughts about others (paranoid ideation and narrative), physiological reactions (anxiety and cybersickness), behavior of avatars (narrative, duration of interaction, and characteristics), interactivity with environment (movement and familiarity), and environmental characteristics (restrictions). Sense of presence was facilitated when the VR elicited genuine cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses, and when participants created their own narrative about events. Presence decreased when participants experienced diminished agency and experienced physical impediments, such as cybersickness and awareness of apparatus and body movement. Strengths of the study include rich data generated by the qualitative approach and the large sample size. Limitations include lack of follow-up measuring longer-term effects.

People with psychosis can experience social functioning impairments. Virtual reality (VR) has been used to assess and treat these difficulties. This systematic review (Prospero CRD42015026288) provides an evaluation of these VR applications. PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched until May 2020. The Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) Quality Assessment Tool was used to assess studies. Database searching identified 3810 titles. Fifty-eight studies (published 2005-2020; N = 2,853), comprising twenty-six head-mounted display studies (20 assessment, 6 treatment) and thirty-two immersive 2D screen studies (23 assessment, 9 treatment), were included. There were forty-eight observational studies and ten randomised controlled trials, with 1570 participants (of which, 185 were at ultra-high risk of psychosis) in VR test groups. Nearly half the studies were published since 2016. Assessments targeted cognitive and behavioural indicators of social functioning, e.g. paranoia, eye gaze, or interpersonal distance. Treatments promoted cognitive-behavioural social skills or job interview training. Studies indicate feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of VR for social functioning impairments in psychosis. Limitations of studies include the narrow scope of social functioning, small sample sizes, and limited randomised controlled trials and standardised interventions. Findings suggest VR has potential to be integrated with existing psychological approaches. ispartof: INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF PSYCHIATRY vol:33 issue:3 pages:337-362 ispartof: location:England status: published

Background AVATAR therapy is a novel intervention targeting distressing auditory verbal hallucinations (henceforth ‘voices’). A digital simulation (avatar) of the voice is created and used in a three-way dialogue between participant, avatar and therapist. To date, therapy has been delivered over 6 sessions, comprising an initial phase, focusing on standing up to a hostile avatar, and a second phase in which the avatar concedes and focus shifts to individualised treatment targets, including beliefs about voices. The first fully powered randomised trial found AVATAR therapy resulted in a rapid and substantial fall in voice frequency and associated distress that was superior to supportive counselling at 12 weeks. The main objective of this AVATAR2 trial is to test the efficacy of two forms of AVATAR therapy in reducing voice-related distress: AVATAR-brief (standardised focus on exposure, assertiveness and self-esteem) and AVATAR-extended (phase 1 mirroring AVATAR-brief augmented by a formulation-driven phase 2). Secondary objectives include the examination of additional voice, wellbeing and mood outcomes, the exploration of mediators and moderators of therapy response, and examining cost-effectiveness of both forms of therapy compared with usual treatment (TAU). Methods This multi-site parallel group randomised controlled trial will independently randomise 345 individuals to receive AVATAR-brief (6 sessions) plus TAU or AVATAR-extended (12 sessions) plus TAU or TAU alone (1:1:1 allocation). Participants will be people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders who have heard distressing voices for more than 6 months. The primary outcome is the PSYRATS Auditory Hallucinations Distress dimension score at 16 and 28 weeks, conducted by blinded assessors. Statistical analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle and data will be analysed using linear mixed models. Mediation and moderation analyses using contemporary causal inference methods will be conducted as secondary analyses. Service costs will be calculated, and cost-effectiveness assessed in terms of quality-adjusted life years accrued. Discussion This study will clarify optimal therapy delivery, test efficacy in a multi-site study and enable the testing of the AVATAR software platform, therapy training and provision in NHS settings. Trial registration ISRCTN registry ISRCTN55682735. Registered on 22 January 2020. The trial is funded by the Wellcome Trust (WT).

BACKGROUND Marginalized groups are more likely to experience problems with technology-related access, motivation, and skills. This is known as the “digital divide.” Technology-related exclusion is a potential barrier to the equitable implementation of digital health. SlowMo therapy was developed with an inclusive, human-centered design to optimize accessibility and bridge the “digital divide.” SlowMo is an effective, blended digital psychological therapy for paranoia in psychosis. OBJECTIVE This study explores the “digital divide” and mobile app engagement in the SlowMo randomized controlled trial. METHODS Digital literacy was assessed at baseline, and a multidimensional assessment of engagement (ie, adherence [via system analytics and self-report] and self-reported user experience) was conducted at 12 weeks after therapy. Engagement was investigated in relation to demographics (ie, gender, age, ethnicity, and paranoia severity). RESULTS Digital literacy data demonstrated that technology use and confidence were lower in Black people and older people (n=168). The engagement findings indicated that 80.7% (96/119) of therapy completers met the a priori analytics adherence criteria. However, analytics adherence did not differ by demographics. High rates of user experience were reported overall (overall score: mean 75%, SD 17.1%; n=82). No differences in user experience were found for ethnicity, age, or paranoia severity, although self-reported app use, enjoyment, and usefulness were higher in women than in men. CONCLUSIONS This study identified technology-related inequalities related to age and ethnicity, which did not influence engagement with SlowMo, suggesting that the therapy design bridged the “digital divide.” Intervention design may moderate the influence of individual differences on engagement. We recommend the adoption of inclusive, human-centered design to reduce the impact of the “digital divide” on therapy outcomes. CLINICALTRIAL ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN32448671; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN32448671

Background Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services improve health outcomes for young people with psychosis in the medium–long term, but 25% of young people disengage in the first 12 months with costs to their mental health, families, society and the NHS. This study will evaluate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and implementation of a team-based motivational Early Youth Engagement (EYE-2) intervention. Method The study design is a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) with economic evaluation, comparing the EYE-2 intervention + standardised EIP service to standardised EIP service alone, with randomisation at the team level. A process evaluation will evaluate the delivery of the intervention qualitatively and quantitatively across contexts. The setting is 20 EIP teams in 5 sites: Manchester, South London, East Anglia, Thames Valley and Hampshire. Participants are young people (14–35 years) with first episode psychosis, and EIP staff. The intervention is the team-based motivational engagement (EYE-2) intervention, delivered alongside standardised EIP services, and supported by additional training, website, booklets and social groups. The comparator is the standardised EIP service. Both interventions are delivered by EIP clinicians. The primary outcome is time to disengagement (time in days from date of allocation to care coordinator to date of last contact following refusal to engage with EIP service, or lack of response to EIP contact for a consecutive 3-month period). Secondary outcomes include mental and physical health, deaths, social and occupational function, recovery, satisfaction and service use at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. A 12-month within-trial economic evaluation will investigate cost-effectiveness from a societal perspective and from an NHS perspective. Discussion The trial will provide the first test of an engagement intervention in standardised care, with the potential for significant impact on the mental health and wellbeing of young people and their families, and economic benefits for services. The intervention will be highly scalable, supported by the toolkit including manuals, commissioning guide, training and resources, adapted to meet the needs of the diverse EIP population, and based on an in-depth process evaluation. Trial registration ISRCTN 51629746 prospectively registered 7th May 2019. Date assigned 10th May 2019.

Key Points Question Can a brief blended digital therapy targeting reasoning (SlowMo) improve paranoia for adults with psychosis when added to usual care? Findings This randomized clinical trial of 361 individuals with clinical paranoia did not demonstrate that SlowMo therapy reduced the primary outcome of self-reported paranoia at 24 weeks compared with usual care only, although secondary beneficial effects were found on this measure at 12 weeks. Self-reported persecution and observer-rated paranoia were improved at both points. Meaning SlowMo, a digitally supported reasoning intervention, indicated a beneficial effect on paranoia; further work to optimize the effects of SlowMo is warranted., This randomized clinical trial investigates the effects and mechanisms of action of SlowMo, a digitally supported reasoning intervention, plus usual care compared with usual care only among individuals with clinical paranoia., Importance Persistent paranoia is common among patients with psychosis. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis can be effective. However, challenges in engagement and effectiveness remain. Objective To investigate the effects on paranoia and mechanisms of action of SlowMo, a digitally supported reasoning intervention, plus usual care compared with usual care only. Design, Setting, and Participants This parallel-arm, assessor-blinded, randomized clinical trial recruited participants at UK community health services from May 1, 2017, to May 14, 2019. Eligible participants consisted of a referral sample with schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis and distressing, persistent (≥3 months) paranoia. Interventions Individuals were randomized 1:1 to SlowMo, consisting of 8 digitally supported face-to-face sessions and a mobile app, plus usual care (n = 181) and usual care only (n = 181). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was paranoia, measured by the Green et al Paranoid Thoughts Scale (GPTS) total score at 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes included GPTS total score at 12 weeks and GPTS Part A (reference) and Part B (persecutory) scores, the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS Delusion subscale), reasoning (belief flexibility, possibility of being mistaken [Maudsley Assessment of Delusions, rated 0%-100%]), and jumping to conclusions (Beads Task). Results A total of 361 participants were included in intention-to-treat analysis, of whom 252 (69.8%) were male and 249 (69.0%) were White; the mean (SD) age was 42.6 (11.6) years. At 24 weeks, 332 participants (92.0%) provided primary outcome data. Of 181 participants in the SlowMo group, 145 (80.1%) completed therapy. SlowMo plus usual care was not associated with greater reductions than usual care in GPTS total score at 24 weeks (Cohen d, 0.20; 95% CI, −0.02 to 0.40; P = .06). There were significant effects on secondary paranoia outcomes at 12 weeks, including GPTS total score (Cohen d, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.09-0.51; P = .005), Part A score (Cohen d, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.06-0.39; P = .009), and Part B score (Cohen d, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.08-0.56; P = .009), and at 24 weeks, including Part B score (Cohen d, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.01-0.49; P = .04) but not Part A score (Cohen d, 0.12; 95% CI, −0.05 to 0.28; P = .18). Improvements were observed in an observer-rated measure of persecutory delusions (PSYRATS delusion) at 12 weeks (Cohen d, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.17-0.78; P = .002) and 24 weeks (Cohen d, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.20-0.80; P = .001) and belief flexibility at 12 weeks (Cohen d, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.09-0.49; P = .004) and 24 weeks (Cohen d, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.08-0.49; P = .005). There were no significant effects on jumping to conclusions. Improved belief flexibility and worry mediated paranoia change (range mediated, 36%-56%). Conclusions and Relevance SlowMo did not demonstrate significant improvements in the primary measure of paranoia at 24 weeks; however, a beneficial effect of SlowMo on paranoia was indicated by the results on the primary measure at an earlier point and on observer-rated paranoia and self-reported persecution at 12 and 24 weeks. Further work to optimize SlowMo’s effects is warranted. Trial Registration isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN 32448671

Purpose Existing reviews of trauma and psychosis have identified associations between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and psychosis. However, conceptual issues relating to assessment of CEA limit the conclusions that can be drawn from the literature. The aim of this review was to identify and evaluate studies reporting an association between childhood experiences of caregiver antipathy (i.e. criticism, hostility, coldness, or rejection from a parental figure experienced prior to age 17 years) and psychosis symptoms/diagnosis. Methods Five databases were systematically searched for articles published until May 2020. Studies were evaluated against inclusion/exclusion criteria, and a narrative synthesis of findings was completed. Study quality was assessed by two independent raters. Results Fourteen studies comprised of 1,848 participants met inclusion criteria. Twelve of these studies found significant associations between caregiver antipathy and psychosis, and two did not. There was evidence that adults with schizophrenia-spectrum diagnoses report more severe caregiver antipathy in childhood than non-clinical controls and that caregiver antipathy severity is positively correlated with psychosis symptom severity. Most studies received weak or moderate quality ratings and all used cross-sectional or case-control designs which showed associations, rather than causal relationships, between childhood caregiver antipathy and later psychosis. Conclusions Future research would benefit from more rigorous and valid assessment of CEA, use of multivariate methods to account for possible patterns of co-occurrence, and longitudinal study designs to make more robust causal claims. The findings may have important implications for the delivery of psychological care for people with psychosis who report adverse caregiving experiences. Practitioner points People with schizophrenia-spectrum diagnoses may report more severe caregiver antipathy in childhood than non-clinical controls. Caregiver antipathy severity appears to be positively correlated with psychosis symptom severity in clinical and non-clinical populations. Clinicians should consider the possible impact of caregiver antipathy on psychosis symptoms, their content and distress maintenance. Clinicians should also recognise the potential impact of adverse caregiving experiences on therapeutic relationships, patterns of help-seeking and service engagement. Best practice in clinical services would be to adopt individual, formulation-based approaches within trauma-informed models of care.

The original CHoice of Outcome In Cbt for psychosEs (CHOICE) measure was designed in collaboration with experts by experience as a patient-reported “Psychological Recovery” outcome measure for cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp). A short version (CHOICE-SF) was developed to use as a brief outcome measure, with a focus on sensitivity to change, for use in future research and practice. CHOICE-SF was developed and validated using 3 separate samples, comprising 640 service users attending 1 of 2 transdiagnostic clinics for (1) CBTp or (2) therapies for voice hearing or (3) who took part in the treatment as usual arm of a trial. In the initial subsample of 69 participants, items from the original CHOICE measure with medium to large effect sizes for change pre- to post-CBTp were retained to form the CHOICE-SF. Internal consistency, construct validity, and sensitivity to change were confirmed, and the factor structure was examined in 242 participants. Specificity was confirmed by comparison with 44 participants who completed CHOICE at 2 time points but did not receive therapy. Validation of CHOICE-SF was carried out by confirming factor structure and sensitivity to change in a new sample of 354 and a subsample of 51 participants, respectively. The CHOICE-SF comprised 11 items and 1 additional personal goal item. A single-factor structure was confirmed, with high internal consistency, construct validity, and sensitivity to change. The CHOICE-SF is a brief, psychometrically robust measure to assess change following psychological therapies in research and clinical practice for people with psychosis and severe mental illness.

AVATAR therapy offers a unique therapeutic context that uses virtual reality technology to create a virtual embodiment of the voice-hearing experience, enabling the person to visualize their persecutory voice and engage in real-time “face-to-face” dialogue. The present study explores, for the first time, the contribution of sense of voice presence, together with session-by-session reduction of anxiety and paranoid attributions about the avatar, to changes in primary outcomes following AVATAR therapy. Data from 39 participants, who completed AVATAR therapy and attended a 12-week follow-up assessment, were analysed. Mid- to high-levels of sense of voice presence were reported across the therapy sessions, along with significant reductions of anxiety levels and paranoid attributions about the avatar. The interaction of sense of voice presence and reduction of anxiety was associated with two of the significant therapy outcomes: PSYRATS total and frequency of voices. The findings suggest that improvements in voice severity and frequency at post AVATAR therapy may be influenced by the combination of feeling less anxious in the context of a realistic simulation of the voice, while voice-related distress may involve additional cognitive and relational processes.

ObjectivesPsychosis, and in particular auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs), are associated with adversity exposure. However, AVHs also occur in populations with no need for care or distress.AimsThis study investigated whether adversity exposure would differentiate clinical and healthy voice-hearers within the context of a ‘three-hit’ model of vulnerability and stress exposure.MethodsSamples of 57 clinical and 45 healthy voice-hearers were compared on the three ‘hits’: familial risk; adversity exposure in childhood and in adolescence/adulthood.ResultsClinical voice-hearers showed greater familial risk than healthy voice-hearers, with more family members with a history of psychosis, but not with other mental disorders. The two groups did not differ in their exposure to adversity in childhood [sexual and non-sexual, victimisation; discrimination and socio-economic status (SES)]. Contrary to expectations, clinical voice-hearers did not differ from healthy voice-hearers in their exposure to victimisation (sexual/non-sexual) and discrimination in adolescence/adulthood, but reported more cannabis and substance misuse, and lower SES.ConclusionsThe current study found no evidence that clinical and healthy voice-hearers differ in lifetime victimisation exposure, suggesting victimisation may be linked to the emergence of AVHs generally, rather than need-for-care. Familial risk, substance misuse and lower SES may be additional risk factors involved in the emergence of need-for-care and distress.

In this chapter we discuss fears of harm from others, also known as ‘paranoia’. We foreground the experiences of people who have lived experience and ask them to describe this in their own words. We consider defining features, disputed terminology, and theoretical perspectives. We relate how cognitive models conceptualise paranoia, including the proposition that it occurs on a continuum from everyday worries in the general population to more distressing and disruptive fears. We discuss contested ideas about ‘delusions’ as fixed beliefs and the role of appraisals, and offer a view, which emphasises dynamic processes of sense making and multidimensionality. We then turn to ways of engaging people and assessing some key aspects of thinking styles, ‘belief flexibility’. Recent research innovations are discussed, ‘causal interventionist’ research targeting mechanisms to improve treatment effectiveness, and digital innovations in treatment, such as virtual reality, mobile apps, and new blended treatments. Finally, we introduce SlowMo, a novel blended digital therapy for fears of harm from others.

Paranoid thoughts are common across the psychosis continuum. It is well established that reasoning biases (conceived as an overreliance on fast thinking and lack of willingness and/or ability to engage in slow thinking) contribute to paranoia. Targeted therapies have shown promise in improving reasoning in order to reduce paranoia. Psychometrically robust and easy-to-use measures of these thinking styles will assist research and clinical practice. Existing assessments include experimental tasks that are complex to administer or self-report measures that have limitations in comprehensively assessing cognitive biases in paranoia. We have developed the first questionnaire to assess fast and slow thinking biases related to paranoid thoughts, and here report on its evaluation. In study 1, we generated, evaluated, and extracted items reflecting reasoning, and assessed their reliability and validity in a non-clinical sample (n = 209). In study 2, we replicated the factor analysis and psychometric evaluation in a clinical sample (n = 265). The resultant Fast and Slow Thinking (FaST) questionnaire consists of two 5-item scales reflecting fast and slow thinking and is therefore brief and suitable for use in both research and clinical practice. The fast thinking scale is reliable and valid. Reliability and criterion validity of the slow scale shows promise. It had limited construct validity with objective reasoning assessments in the clinical group, possibly due to impaired meta-cognitive awareness of slow thinking. We recommend the FaST questionnaire as a new tool for improving understanding of reasoning biases in paranoia and supporting targeted psychological therapies.

Introduction: There is an ongoing debate about whether negative affect are consequences or triggers of paranoid thinking. It has also been suggested that aberrant salience is central to the development of delusions. This study modelled the moment-to-moment relationships between negative affect, aberrant salience, and paranoia in acute inpatients with psychosis.Methods: Participants with active paranoid delusions were assessed using clinical rating scales and experience sampling method (ESM) over 14 days. ESM data were analysed using time-lagged multilevel regression modelling.Results: Both negative affect and aberrant salience predicted an increase in paranoia at the next time point. Conversely, the level of paranoia did not predict subsequent changes in negative affect or aberrant salience. Negative affect predicted an increase in aberrant salience at the next time point, and vice versa.Conclusions: Negative affect and aberrant salience appear to drive and exacerbate paranoia, rather than being merely the sequelae of the symptom. Our results suggest both direct and indirect (via aberrant salience) pathways from negative affect to paranoia.

Background and Objectives: There is a pressing need to improve access to evidence-based practice for people with psychosis. The primary aim of this study was to assess clinical feasibility of a manualised, evidence-based CBT intervention (GOALS) targeting a personalised recovery goal, delivered by the frontline workforce, following brief training. Secondly, we aimed to conduct preliminary statistical analyses of key outcomes and costs. Methods: The GOALS study is a feasibility randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN 73188383). 75 participants with current psychosis were recruited and randomly allocated to receive either treatment as usual alone or with GOALS therapy. Results: Brief training enabled frontline staff to deliver the therapy according to protocol and 74% of therapy participants partially or fully achieved their goals. There were significant improvements with a moderate effect size of 0.56 on goal attainment. However, preliminary statistical analyses found no significant differences between groups on our primary outcome of activity levels or other secondary outcomes Health economic analysis found that point estimates of costs, controlling for baseline costs, implied savings (even including intervention costs), but the difference was not statistically significant. Limitations: The study was designed as a feasibility RCT, and therefore the results of secondary estimates of efficacy effects should be treated with caution.Conclusions: This approach holds promise in supporting people with psychosis to reach personal recovery goals, cost effectively.

BackgroundHearing voices can be a distressing and disabling experience for some, whilst it is a valued experience for others, so-called ‘healthy voice-hearers’. Cognitive models of psychosis highlight the role of memory, appraisal and cognitive biases in determining emotional and behavioural responses to voices. A memory bias potentially associated with distressing voices is the overgeneral memory bias (OGM), namely the tendency to recall a summary of events rather than specific occasions. It may limit access to autobiographical information that could be helpful in re-appraising distressing experiences, including voices.MethodsWe investigated the possible links between OGM and distressing voices in psychosis by comparing three groups: (1) clinical voice-hearers (N = 39), (2) non-clinical voice-hearers (N = 35) and (3) controls without voices (N = 77) on a standard version of the autobiographical memory test (AMT). Clinical and non-clinical voice-hearers also completed a newly adapted version of the task, designed to assess voices-related memories (vAMT).ResultsAs hypothesised, the clinical group displayed an OGM bias by retrieving fewer specific autobiographical memories on the AMT compared with both the non-clinical and control groups, who did not differ from each other. The clinical group also showed an OGM bias in recall of voice-related memories on the vAMT, compared with the non-clinical group.ConclusionsClinical voice-hearers display an OGM bias when compared with non-clinical voice-hearers on both general and voices-specific recall tasks. These findings have implications for the refinement and targeting of psychological interventions for psychosis.

Background Childhood ‘unusual experiences’ (such as hearing voices that others cannot, or suspicions of being followed) are common, but can become more distressing during adolescence, especially for young people in contact with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Unusual experiences that are distressing or have adverse life impact (UEDs) are associated with a range of current and future emotional, behavioural and mental health difficulties. Recommendations for psychological intervention are based on evidence from adult studies, with some support from small, pilot, child-specific evaluations. Research is needed to ensure that the recommendations suit children as well as adults. The CUES+ study (Coping with Unusual ExperienceS for 12–18 year olds) aims to find out whether cognitive behaviour therapy for UEDs (CBT-UED) is a helpful and cost-effective addition to usual community care for 12–18 year olds presenting to United Kingdom National Health Service Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in four London boroughs. Methods The CUES+ study is a randomised controlled trial comparing CBT-UED plus routine care to routine care alone. CBT-UED comprises up to 16 sessions, including up to 12 individual and up to four family support meetings, each lasting around 45–60 min, delivered weekly. The primary outcome is emotional distress. Secondary outcomes are change in UEDs, risk events (self-harm, attendance at emergency services, other adverse events) and health economic outcomes. Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio after baseline assessment. Randomisation will be stratified by borough and by severity of mental health presentation: ‘severe’ (an identified psychotic or bipolar disorder) or any ‘other’ condition. Outcomes will be assessed by a trained assessor blind to treatment condition at 0, 16 and 24 weeks. Recruitment began in February, 2015 and is ongoing until the end of March, 2017. Discussion The CUES+ study will contribute to the currently limited child-specific evidence base for psychological interventions for UEDs occurring in the context of psychosis or any other mental health presentation. Trial registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials, ID: ISRCTN21802136. Prospectively registered on 12 January 2015. Protocol V3 31 August 2015 with screening amended. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-017-2326-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objectives Psychological therapy services are increasingly required to instate routine outcome monitoring (ROM), to demonstrate the clinical and economic impact of interventions. Professionals’ views of ROM are an acknowledged barrier to implementation. Service user perspectives have rarely been examined, but acceptability and perceptions of ROM are critical to successful implementation. We investigated service users’ experiences of ROM in an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies for people with Severe Mental Illness psychosis demonstration site. Design ROM comprised a periodic assessment battery completed at baseline, mid-therapy, and end-of-therapy and a single measure completed session-by-session. Qualitative and quantitative feedback were sought at each periodic ROM administration, and, for sessional ROM, at mid-therapy and end-of-therapy. Demographic and clinical correlates of satisfaction were examined cross-sectionally at baseline. Consistency of satisfaction over time and associations of satisfaction with engagement were examined longitudinally. Methods Service users rated baseline (n = 281/289), mid-therapy (n = 114/121), end-of-therapy (n = 124/154), and session-by-session (mid-therapy n = 63/87 and end-of-therapy n = 90/123) ROM from 0 (‘extremely unhelpful’) to 10 (‘extremely helpful’) and gave qualitative feedback. Results Service users predominantly found ROM helpful (score 6–10; 64–72%) or neutral (score 5; 19–29%). Finding ROM less helpful was associated with younger age and poorer general outcomes, but not with psychotic symptoms or therapy dropout. Emerging qualitative themes included feeling understood, valuing opportunities to reflect, expressing feelings, and tracking progress towards goals. Shorter batteries would be preferable, particularly for younger respondents, and those with poorer outcomes. Conclusions ROM is acceptable for people with psychosis. Tailoring assessments to specific subgroups should be considered. Practitioner points Routine outcome monitoring for psychological therapy is acceptable to people with psychosis. Most respondents experienced outcome monitoring as an opportunity to feel understood. Younger people and those with poorer functioning and well-being might be at higher risk of dissatisfaction. Short assessment batteries and less frequent outcome monitoring might be preferable for some service users. Limitations of the study Feedback about session-by-session outcome monitoring was not contemporaneous with completion and may be subject to memory or other biases. Only two-thirds of service users provided feedback about session-by-session ROM (compared to >94% for periodic ROM) so findings may not be fully representative. Feedback about measures was not provided anonymously, and it is possible that service users were reluctant to express criticism about ROM to the assessor.

Exposure to childhood trauma has been associated with psychotic symptoms, being at ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR), and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Negative self-beliefs have been shown to partially mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and paranoia and have been shown to be characteristic of patients with psychosis. However, whether the association between childhood trauma and being at high risk of developing psychosis (e.g., UHR) and paranoia symptoms is mediated by altered cognitive schema is unknown and warrants investigation to inform preventive interventions. Data was collected on 30 UHR patients from Outreach and Support in South London about exposure to childhood trauma, cognitive schema, paranoia and cannabis use. Relative to healthy controls (n = 38), UHR patients were significantly more likely to report exposure to various types of childhood trauma (emotional and sexual abuse, and emotional and physical neglect), had more negative schema and less positive schema about themselves and others, and were more likely to use cannabis more than once a month. Emotional neglect was found to be significantly associated with UHR status even after controlling for the effects of previous exposure to cannabis use (b = 0.262, 95% CI: 0.115–0.408), and this association was partially mediated by negative self-schema (b = 0.045, 95% CI: 0.004–0.159). Similarly, emotional neglect was significantly associated with paranoia (b = 1.354, 95% CI: 0.246-2.462), and this association was partially mediated by negative self-schema (b = 0.988, 95% CI: 0.323-1.895). These findings provide preliminary evidence about the cognitive mechanisms that may underlie the association between childhood trauma and later risk for psychosis.

Several integrated models of psychosis have implicated adverse, stressful contexts and experiences, and affective and cognitive processes in the onset of psychosis. In these models, the effects of stress are posited to contribute to the development of psychotic experiences via pathways through affective disturbance, cognitive biases, and anomalous experiences. However, attempts to systematically test comprehensive models of these pathways remain sparse. Using the Experience Sampling Method in 51 individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP), 46 individuals with an atrisk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis, and 53 controls, we investigated how stress, enhanced threat anticipation, and experiences of aberrant salience combine to increase the intensity of psychotic experiences. We fitted multilevel moderated mediation models to investigate indirect effects across these groups. We found that the effects of stress on psychotic experiences were mediated via pathways through affective disturbance in all 3 groups. The effect of stress on psychotic experiences was mediated by threat anticipation in FEP individuals and controls but not in ARMS individuals. There was only weak evidence of mediation via aberrant salience. However, aberrant salience retained a substantial direct effect on psychotic experiences, independently of stress, in all 3 groups. Our findings provide novel insights on the role of affective disturbance and threat anticipation in pathways through which stress impacts on the formation of psychotic experiences across different stages of early psychosis in daily life.

Purpose: Current models of psychosis posit a developmental and maintaining role for anxiety, supported by robust empirical evidence. Given the central role for anxiety in psychosis, valid and reliable assessment is necessary. This systematic review is the first to critically appraise measures of anxiety applied to psychosis samples. Methods: Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and CINAHL were systematically searched for studies evaluating psychometric properties of instruments measuring anxiety in samples with non-affective psychosis diagnoses. Psychometric properties were extracted and rated according to established criteria. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of studies. Results: Of 4,344 records identified, 11 studies were identified as eligible for inclusion, by two independent raters with high reliability. Reported psychometric properties for 17 different instruments ranged from unacceptable to excellent. The Scale of Anxiety Evaluation in Schizophrenia was assessed most extensively and demonstrated consistently good psychometric properties. The Beck Anxiety Index, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, DSM-based Generalised Anxiety Disorder Symptoms Severity Scale, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory, Psychological Stress Index, Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire, and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale demonstrated adequate reliability and/or validity on the limited properties reported. Methodological quality was largely poor according to the requirements of the COSMIN checklist. Conclusions: The instruments listed are recommended as at least adequate for the assessment of anxiety in psychosis on the basis of these preliminary data. Further validation of existing instruments designed to measure anxiety in people with psychosis is strongly recommended. Practitioner points: Anxiety has a developmental and maintaining role in psychosis; therefore, we should routinely screen for symptoms of anxiety when working with people with psychosis spectrum disorders. Studies included in this review reported reliable and valid measures of anxiety for people with psychosis; however, the methodological quality of most studies was poor. We recommend the BAI, DASS, or SAES for general screening, and the DGSS, LSAS, OCI, PSI, PTQ, and Y-BOCS to assess symptoms associated with specific anxiety disorders and anxiety-related processes.

Initial affective and psychotic reactivity to daily stressors is altered in psychosis, and most notably in early psychosis. In addition to altered initial stress reactivity, results from studies using Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM) and psychophysiological measures indicate that impaired recovery from mild stressors may also be a risk factor for mental illness. The current ESM study investigated affective recovery from daily stressors in chronic psychosis patients (CP; n = 162), individuals at early stages of psychosis (EP; n = 127), and healthy volunteers (HV; n = 220) assessing fluctuations in negative affect (NA), tension, and suspiciousness ten times a day on six consecutive days. Recovery was operationalized for all three variables as the return to baseline (i.e., level at t-1) following the first stressful event of a day (i.e., t0). The EP group showed a delayed recovery of NA (t1-t3: B = 0.185; p = .007 and B = 0.228; p = .002) and suspiciousness (t1: B = 0.223; p = .010 and B = 0.291; p = .002) compared to HV and CP, respectively. Delayed recovery was detected for tension as well (t1-t2: EP > HV: B = 0.242; p = .040 and EP > CP: B = 0.284; p = .023), but contrary to both other momentary states, this effect disappeared when controlling for subsequent stressful events. There were no significant differences in recovery between HV and CP. These results suggest that in EP, stressful daily events have longer-lasting effects on overall negative affect and subclinical psychotic-like experiences. Future studies should incorporate physiological and endocrine measures in order to integrate recovery patterns of the different stress systems. ispartof: SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH vol:213 pages:1-8 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: Published online

The intervention has been derived from an attempt to use general principles of cognitive-behavioural therapy in an individualised case formulation approach, in an attempt to understand and address the heterogeneity of problems presented by the clients. The therapist first carries out a detailed cognitive-behavioural analysis of the situations associated with the patient’s experience of particular distressing psychotic symptoms. The therapist invites the patient to consider alternative interpretations of specific pieces of evidence cited by the patient. A number of patients with continuing psychotic symptoms may hold dysfunctional assumptions about the self which imply worthlessness, uselessness and unlovability. A more general strategy for managing disability included giving people information, discussing their understanding of the condition, providing a rationale for medication use and realistic goal setting in both the short and the long term.

The negative symptoms of psychosis and depressive symptomatology share several features, e.g. low motivation, apathy and reduced activity. Understanding the associations between these two sets of symptoms will support improved assessment and the development of interventions targeting these difficulties in people with psychosis. This is the first large systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the relationship between these two categories of symptoms, as measured in studies to date. PsycInfo, Embase and Medline were systematically searched to identify eligible studies. Inclusion criteria ensured the studies measured both depression and negative symptoms using validated measures in a sample of over 8000 participants with non-affective psychosis diagnoses. The search led to 2020 records being screened and 56 included in the meta-analysis and review. Both meta-analyses and meta-regressions were conducted to explore the main effect and potential moderating variables. A clear pattern emerges showing that higher ratings of negative symptoms are associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, with a small effect [standardised effect size = 0.19,p< 0.05). This did not vary greatly with the measures used (SES = 0.19–0.26) and was not moderated by demographic variables or quality ratings. Interestingly, higher depressive symptoms predict a significant relationship with co-occurring negative symptoms. However, higher negative symptoms predict that it is less likely there will be a relationship with co-occurring depressive symptoms. Heterogeneity was high across these analyses. The findings support the adoption of a symptom-specific approach to understanding the interplay between negative and depressive symptoms in psychosis, to improve assessment and intervention.

BackgroundCertain ways of responding to psychotic experiences (PEs) appear more commonly associated with clinical distress (e.g. avoidance) and other ways with benign or positive outcomes (e.g. reappraisal and acceptance). Past research has largely been limited to retrospective self-report. We aimed to compare clinical and non-clinical individuals on experimental analogues of anomalous experiences.MethodResponse styles of two groups with persistent PEs (clinical n = 84; non-clinical n = 92) and a control group without PEs (n = 83) were compared following experimental analogues of thought interference (Cards Task, Telepath) and hearing voices (Virtual Acoustic Space Paradigm).ResultsThe non-clinical group with PEs were less likely to endorse unhelpful response styles, such as passive responding or attempts to avoid, suppress, worry about or control mental experiences, compared with the clinical group on all three tasks. The clinical group were more likely to endorse unhelpful response styles compared with controls on two out of three tasks (Cards Task and Telepath). The non-clinical group performed similarly to controls on unhelpful responding across all tasks. There were no group differences for helpful response styles, such as cognitive reappraisal or mindful acceptance of experiences.ConclusionsIn line with cognitive models of psychosis, the findings suggest that the way in which individuals respond to unusual experiences may be an important factor in understanding clinical distress, supporting the therapeutic rationale of targeting potentially unhelpful patterns of response.

There has been an increase in attention to studying shared mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders. The ‘Jumping to conclusions’ (JTC11 JTC = Jumping to conclusions. ) bias, a tendency to make decisions with certainty based on insufficient information, has been reported in patients with psychosis, and process-based treatment protocols targeting this bias have recently been developed. This review aimed to investigate to what extent the JTC bias, measured by various tasks, is associated with psychotic disorders and other psychiatric disorders using a meta-analytic approach. We examined 6864 articles published between 1990 and 2015, and meta-analysed 46 studies. The first meta-analysis included 40 effect sizes comparing patients with schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders and healthy controls. There was a hastier data-gathering style in patients with psychosis than healthy individuals, with a moderate aggregated effect size. The second meta-analysis included 18 effect sizes comparing patients with non-psychotic disorders and healthy controls. There was marked heterogeneity in effect sizes and evidence for publication bias. After removal of outliers, the aggregated effect size for JTC was not statistically significant. A planned subgroup analysis showed no significant effect of JTC in depression. Other diagnostic subgroups yielded small non-significant results. Therefore, our findings do not support the suggestion that JTC is a transdiagnostic phenomenon beyond psychosis.