Enhancing Cognitive and Work/School Outcomes in First Episode Psychosis Using Cognitive Self-Management Strategies

Conditions

• First Episode Psychosis (FEP)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

15 Years - 32 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Thinking Skills for Work-Cognitive Self-Management Program (CSM) — BEHAVIORAL
  CSM is a 12-session program that promotes the development of specific cognitive strategies to promote success in employment and education outcomes. This is a standardized, evidence-based intervention with adults with serious mental illness. Each session is facilitated by a trained cognitive specialist and lasts between 45- 60 minutes. Session topics include self-assessment of cognitive skills, recognizing strengths, challenging negative thoughts, attention and concentration, memory, organization, planning, and thinking ahead.
• Treatment as Usual (TAU) — BEHAVIORAL
  In this intervention, participants receive regular weekly Supported Education and Employment (SEE) services.

Study Details

The goal of this pilot cluster randomized trial is to understand if adding a standardized cognitive self-management program, Thinking Skills for Work-Cognitive Self-Management Strategies (CSM) to Coordinated Specialty Care Supported Employment and Education (SEE) programs improves the work and school outcomes of young adults experiencing first episode psychosis. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does adding the CSM program to usual SEE services lead to improved work and school outcomes, such as ability to find a job or enroll in school, or ability to keep a job or stay in school? * Does adding the CSM program to usual SEE services improve cognition and cognitive self-efficacy? Researchers will recruit six research sites and these will be randomized to either treatment as usual, where they will offer regular SEE services, or the experimental groups, where they will offer regular SEE services plus the CSM program. Participants in both groups will be asked to complete a brief assessment at baseline, 6-months, 12-months, and 18-months. Participants in the experimental group will be asked to participate in the 12-session CSM program in addition to their regular SEE services.

Key Dates

First listed

Aug 6, 2026

Start date

Aug 10, 2025

Status verified

Aug 2026

Primary completion

Jan 31, 2029

Completion

May 31, 2029

Study Design

Enrollment

60 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Arms

• Experimental: CSM plus SEE Group
  The 3 sites (30 participants) from this site will receive the standardized 12 session CSM program in addition to regular SEE services. The CSM sessions will occur weekly and last between 45-60 minutes. They cover 12 different areas of cognition such as self-assessment, recognizing strengths, challenging negative thinking, attention and concentration, memory organization, planning ahead, problem-solving, and thinking speed.
• Active Comparator: Treatment as Usual
  In this arm, the 3 sites (30 participants) will participate in regular weekly SEE services.

Primary Outcome Measure

School and Education Activity Tracker [ Time Frame: Tracked weekly through study completion (about 18 months) ]

Central Contacts

• Susan R McGurk, PhD
  617-353-3549
  [email protected]
• Alexa Trolley-Hanson, MS
  617-353-3549
  [email protected]

Locations (4)

Find similar trials in Big Spring, TX

Related Studies

• California Collaborative Network to Promote Data Driven Care and Improve Outcomes in Early Psychosis
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