Main goal:
To evaluate the efficacy of UP in a group format for the treatment of comorbid symptoms
present in UHR for psychosis.
Secondary goals:
Evaluate the effects of UP intervention on subthreshold positive symptoms
Evaluate the rates of transition to psychosis at 3 months in patients in the inmediate
UP+TAU group intervention and compare them with those in the WL+TAU.
Evaluate the effect of UP treatment on quality of life.
Evaluate the effect of treatment on cognitive distortions and disease awareness.
Evaluate the effect of treatment on positive and negative emotions.
Evaluate the effect of treatment on emotion regulation skills.
Evaluate the effect of UP treatment on psychosocial functioning.
To know the levels of neuroticism and extraversion in UHR patients and to study if they
constitute a modulating factor of the response to treatment with UP.
Evaluate in the medium term the maintenance of the effects of treatment with PU.
Evaluate the satisfaction of patients with the UP intervention.
The present study is a randomized controlled trial in which participants will be assigned to
a treatment group that will receive immediate group treatment with UP in addition to the
treatment as usual (UP + TAU) and the other group will be placed on a waiting list for
treatment with delayed UP after 7 months while receiving the treatment as usual (WL + TAU).
The first group will receive immediate intervention with UP in online group format (UP + TAU)
with a total of 15 sessions of 2 hours of weekly frequency in addition to the usual treatment
in PIPPEP. The sessions will have a group format of 5-8 patients per group. An additional
follow-up sessios will be held at 3 months after the end of the treatment sessions. The
sessions will work on the 8 modules of UP for the transdiagnostic treatment of Emotional
Disorders.
Treatment as usual on PIPPEP is a multidisciplinary treatment in which psychiatric sessions,
nursing, social work and psychology are performed applying cognitive-behavioral
psychotherapy. The frequency of visits can be weekly or fortnightly in the case of
psychotherapy and the focus of the intervention would be the sub-threshold positive symptoms.
Traditional cognitive-behavioral techniques such as behavioral experiments, cognitive
restructuring, or exposure will be used as outlined in manuals created for this purpose. The
usual duration of the visits will be one hour and the format will be individual.
Due to the restrictions arising from the pandemic situation by COVID-19, the group
intervention will be in video conferencing format with a secure platform to maintain data
protection. To ensure the adequacy of the GE intervention, the number of patients will be
between 5-8.
The videoconferencing method will be secure and the personal data of the participants will be
protected. The platform method that the Foundation San Joan de Deu will use is appropriate
and contemplates the data protection regulations.
Patients will be randomized for inclusion in the experimental or control group using a list
of random numbers and will be assigned according to the order of collection. The evaluator
will be blind to the group to which the evaluated patient belongs.
Fidelity to the PU treatment protocol will be guaranteed through regular supervision with an
accredited therapist.
The psychiatric medication prescribed for the patients in the study will be monitored, as
well as any changes that may be made during the time of the study.