CBM-pa
What is CBM?
We will examine a new computer psychological intervention, ‘Cognitive Bias Modification for paranoia’ (CBM-pa). CBM encourages people to develop alternative ways of interpreting difficult thoughts (i.e. “someone is watching me”), leading participants to change their interpretation of what these situations might mean.
CBM is used in anxiety, but has not been appropriately applied to other mental health problems. Our version, CBM-pa, was developed with people experiencing paranoid thoughts.
Public and Patient Involvement (PPI)
The study has had extensive patient involvement throughout. One of the co-applicants on the study has direct experience of paranoia. We held a focus group of patients when developing the study. The focus group resulted in significant changes to the design of the study. Three members of the focus group together with the co-applicant from the McPin Foundation (www.mcpin.org) sit on the steering group of the study. The patient members of the steering group have so far:
• Produced many of the scenarios that will be used in the study
• Sat on the interview panel for study staff
• Helped produce the recruitment materials for the study
• Advised on where best to hold sessions for study participants
This is just a beginning. The patient members of the group will continue to contribute to the study over the years to come. If you would like any further information please email contact@mcpin.org
Aims of the study
This study will test whether, in addition to usual treatment, six sessions of CBM-pa produces significant benefit for participants (for example by reducing symptoms and distress) immediately, and at 1 and 3 month follow-up, compared to reading passages of text alone.
The overall aim is to test whether CBM-pa could be an effective treatment for paranoia. If so, CBM-pa would have a number of potential advantages over other approaches, including, minimal effort to complete, no homework, no therapist, and portability.
What will the study involve?
The study is based on new research into the biases that people with paranoid thoughts have when interpreting events. It involves participants reading stories on a computer screen, completing missing words and answering questions about each story in a way that encourages more helpful beliefs about themselves and others.
Previous studies have found after one session of CBM-pa, people with paranoid thoughts displayed a range of helpful effects, including significant belief change, and less distress in ambiguous social situations.