Context-Aware Mobile Intervention for Social Recovery in Serious Mental Illness (R33)

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · Mar 4, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new mobile program called Social Interaction Therapy by Exposure (mSITE), designed to help people with serious mental illnesses, like schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, engage more socially. The goal is to see if this technology-supported approach can improve social interactions and help individuals feel less isolated.

To participate, people need to be between 18 and 65 years old and have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar I disorder, or major depression with a history of psychosis. They should also be willing to read and understand materials in English and score a certain level of social avoidance on a specific assessment. However, those who have received certain types of therapy recently, have severe disorganization in their thoughts, or struggle with substance dependence may not be eligible. This trial is not yet recruiting participants, but those who join can expect to engage with the program using a mobile device to improve their social skills and interactions.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Voluntary informed consent to participate and capacity to consent; Age 18 to 65;
• • Diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar I disorder or major depression with history of psychosis based on a diagnostic interview and available medical record review;
• • Minimum level of social avoidance defined by a score of ≥ 2 on the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) asociality item;
• • Be willing and able to speak English at ≥ 6th grade reading level (to read intervention workbook).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Prior CBT in the past 2 years;
• • Greater than moderate disorganization on the PANSS (P2- Disorganization item \>5);
• • Alcohol or substance dependence in past 3 months based on the diagnostic interview;
• • Level of care required interferes with outpatient therapy (e.g., hospitalized; severe medical illness);
• • Unable to adequately see or manually manipulate a phone;
• • Resident of an integrated housing facility that also provides treatment services.