Researchers at the Dartmouth CTBH have received an intervention development grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to develop a mobile system for Self-Management of Schizophrenia (SOS). The study team, led by Principal Investigator Dror Ben-Zeev, PhD, will work closely with individuals with schizophrenia and mental health practitioners to develop a user-friendly mHealth resource for people with serious mental illness and cognitive impairment. The smartphone-based intervention will provide real-time assessment, resources, and skills training to help patients cope with symptoms of psychosis, mood problems, social dysfunction, sleep difficulties, and poor medication adherence. The study will be conducted in partnership with Investigators at Northwestern University, Boston University, and community mental health centers in New Hampshire and Vermont.

The research team will conduct focus groups with individuals with schizophrenia who will provide feedback on the planned intervention content and the structure and style of the system. Expert consultants will review the system to ensure it is grounded in effective illness management approaches, appropriate for the target audience, and appropriate for the SOS application. The team will conduct lab-based usability tests with individuals with schizophrenia, to identify and resolve technical problems, and to determine acceptability and feasibility. A usability field trial will be conducted after all modifications from the laboratory testing are completed to evaluate the usability of the SOS system in real-world conditions. The study will end with a randomized controlled trial of SOS compared to usual care. The investigative team will assess all aspects of the intervention protocol, including SOS functionality, recruitment and retention procedures, and preliminary efficacy of the mobile intervention for a subsequent larger randomized controlled trial.

The ultimate objective of the project is to create a validated application that can be easily downloaded onto a mobile phone and used by anyone, facilitating wide-scale and far-reaching implementation and dissemination of illness management strategies. If effective, SOS will help reduce the high personal and societal costs associated with schizophrenia, and may also function as a delivery system for additional interventions in extensions of this work.