Objectives
cognitive and social cognitive training, psychosis
DISORDERS
Thus, we hypothesized that leveraging an intervention specifically targeted to improving motivated behavior would improve adherence and benefits from cognitive training in individuals with psychosis spectrum disorders. We examined the cognitive and clinical effects of supplementing a 16-week course of targeted cognitive and social cognitive training (TCT) with Personalized Real-Time Intervention for Motivational Enhancement (PRIME)—a smartphone-based app that includes a motivational coach and peer-to-peer interactions. To determine which changes in outcome measures would be attributable to the cognitive training, this intervention was compared with the cognitive and clinical effects of PRIME delivered with a CG.As a mobile app, PRIME is designed to enhance motivation (but not cognition) by helping participants set and track SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) goals and by celebrating accomplishments. PRIME pairs participants with a motivational coach trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to encourage and reinforce the goals. PRIME participants message and interact with their coach as well as a community of peers. PRIME was developed at the University of California, San Francisco, in partnership with the design company IDEO, by Danielle Schlosser [Here, we describe the procedures for this study, which was conducted entirely remotely across the United States and internationally before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; the features of the interventions; the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention in 100 randomized participants; and the results of this randomized controlled trial on cognition, motivation, symptoms, and functioning. Our primary hypotheses were as follows: (1) TCT+PRIME participants would show greater gains in cognition relative to CG+PRIME and (2) both groups would show improvements in motivation and related indices of motivation due to the effects of PRIME. Exploratory analyses tested the effects of these interventions on symptoms and functioning.