Modified Work Behavior Inventory assessment: Evaluation of psychometric properties.

The Work Behavior Inventory (WBI) is a widely used and validated assessment of work functioning in people with schizophrenia. WBI ratings are based on workplace observation and interview with work supervisors. Workplace observation may not be acceptable in all employment settings.

Collaborating across the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense to integrate mental health and chaplaincy services.

Background: Recognizing that clergy and spiritual care providers are a key part of mental health care systems, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) jointly examined chaplains' current and potential roles in caring for veterans and service members with mental health needs.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the intersection of chaplain and mental health care practices in VA and DoD in order to determine if improvement is needed, and if so, to develop actionable recommendations as indicated by evaluation findings.

Design: A 38-member multidisciplinary task group partnered with researchers in designing, implementing, and interpreting a mixed methods study that included: 1) a quantitative survey of VA and DoD chaplains; and 2) qualitative interviews with mental health providers and chaplains.

Chaplaincy and mental health in the department of Veterans affairs and department of defense.

Chaplains play important roles in caring for Veterans and Service members with mental health problems. As part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) Integrated Mental Health Strategy, we used a sequential approach to examining intersections between chaplaincy and mental health by gathering and building upon: 1) input from key subject matter experts; 2) quantitative data from the VA / DoD Chaplain Survey (N = 2,163; response rate of 75% in VA and 60% in DoD); and 3) qualitative data from site visits to 33 VA and DoD facilities. Findings indicate that chaplains are extensively involved in caring for individuals with mental health problems, yet integration between mental health and chaplaincy is frequently limited due to difficulties between the disciplines in establishing familiarity and trust.

Living well: an intervention to improve self-management of medical illness for individuals with serious mental illness.

Objective: Individuals with serious mental illness have elevated rates of comorbid chronic general medical conditions and may benefit from interventions designed to support illness self-management. This study examined the effectiveness of a modified version of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program called Living Well for individuals with serious mental illness.

Methods: A total of 63 mental health consumers with serious mental illness and at least one concurrent chronic general medical condition were randomly assigned to receive the 13-session peer-cofacilitated Living Well intervention or usual care.

Mental health assessment in rehabilitation research.

Assessment in mental health research has evolved from focusing on symptoms and diagnosis to addressing a broad range of change, including psychosocial functioning. This is consistent with developments in the areas of psychosocial rehabilitation and the increase in recovery-oriented intervention models for mental disorders. We reviewed the status of assessment in mental health research, providing an overview of symptom and diagnostic assessment that is the cornerstone of most mental health research assessment.

A randomized, controlled trial of computer-assisted cognitive remediation for schizophrenia.

Objective: There is considerable interest in cognitive remediation for schizophrenia, but its essential components are still unclear. The goal of the current study was to develop a broadly targeted computer-assisted cognitive remediation program and conduct a rigorous clinical trial in a large group of schizophrenia patients.

Method: Sixty-nine people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were randomly assigned to 36 sessions of computer-assisted cognitive remediation or an active control condition.

The 2009 schizophrenia PORT psychosocial treatment recommendations and summary statements.

The Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT) psychosocial treatment recommendations provide a comprehensive summary of current evidence-based psychosocial treatment interventions for persons with schizophrenia. There have been 2 previous sets of psychosocial treatment recommendations (Lehman AF, Steinwachs DM. Translating research into practice: the Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT) treatment recommendations.

Behavioral treatment of substance abuse in schizophrenia.

Co-occurring substance use disorders are highly prevalent among individuals with schizophrenia and other serious and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI) and are associated with clinically significant consequences. A multifaceted behavioral treatment called Behavioral Treatment for Substance Abuse in Serious and Persistent Mental Illness (BTSAS) can reduce substance abuse in persons with SPMI. The key treatment strategies in BTSAS include a urinalysis contingency, short-term goal setting, training in drug refusal skills, psychoeducation about the impact of drug use, and relapse prevention training.

Is learning potential associated with social skills in schizophrenia?

Cognitive deficits are a primary factor in the social and functional impairments characteristic of schizophrenia and an important predictor of treatment success in psychosocial rehabilitation. This study examined the association between abstract reasoning and social functioning by assessing whether learning potential on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) relates to changes in social competence following social skills training (SST). Fifty-six veterans with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed a series of assessments followed by eight SST sessions.

The development of a computer-assisted cognitive remediation program for patients with schizophrenia.

In the last decade, impairments in several cognitive domains have been recognized as a central feature of schizophrenia. Consistent evidence has accumulated that documents the contribution of these deficits to poor outcome in social and occupational functioning, and thus they are important targets for psychosocial as well as pharmacological intervention. After reviewing the literature on cognitive remediation for brain injury as well as schizophrenia patients, consulting with research groups which have implemented cognitive remediation programs for schizophrenia, and conducting pilot work with patients, our group has developed a broadly-targeted computer-based remediation intervention that is based on using exercises that engage several cognitive capacities simultaneously, teaching of a set of cognitive strategies by a supportive therapist in a one-on-one setting, and addressing many of the treatment issues that are specific to schizophrenia.

The token economy for schizophrenia: review of the literature and recommendations for future research.

The token economy is a treatment intervention based on principles of operant conditioning and social learning. Developed in the 1950s and 1960s for long-stay hospital patients, the token economy has fallen out of favor since that time. The current review was undertaken as part of the 2003 update of the schizophrenia treatment recommendations of the Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT).

The Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT): updated treatment recommendations 2003.

Since publication of the original Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT) treatment recommendations in 1998, considerable scientific advances have occurred in our knowledge about how to help persons with schizophrenia. Today an even stronger body of research supports the scientific basis of treatment. This evidence, taken in its entirety, points to the value of treatment approaches combining medications with psychosocial treatments, including psychological interventions, family interventions, supported employment, assertive community treatment, and skills training.

Preliminary reliability and validity of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for schizophrenia.

This study provides preliminary psychometric support for a version of the Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Scale (CAPS; D. D. Blake et al.