Investigators
A/Prof Yael Perry
Project description
As well as specific symptom clusters, psychosis effects important non-symptom domains including social cognition and social-occupational functioning. Impaired social cognitive ability is one of the most important drivers of poor functional outcome with consequent impact on quality of life. Early intervention approaches for psychosis are clinically and cost-effective and provide a key treatment opportunity when impairments in cognition are most malleable and functional outcomes can be maximised. Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) has been identified as a revolutionary tool because it addresses current treatment challenges of engagement, potency and generalisation of effects. VR research in psychosis has demonstrated its safety and ecological validity.
This project involves the co-production and evaluation (through a double blind RCT) of a new VR-based therapy, in order to improve the social cognition and social functioning in young people with first episode psychosis (FEP) or who are at Ultra High Risk (UHR) for psychosis.
Project outputs
- A VR therapy intervention for improving social cognition and social functioning in young people with emerging psychosis.
- A randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the intervention effectiveness
- A detailed implementation plan based on the trial outcomes
Funders of the project
Wellcome Trust
External collaborators
Roos Pot-Kolder, Jessica Spark, Carli Ellinghaus, Jennifer Nicholas, Shona Louis, Jordan Thorpe, Julie Ja, Cassandra Li, Michelle Tennant, Cathrine Mihalopoulos, Caroline Gao, Isabel Zbukvic, Imogen Bell, Mario Alvarez-Jimenez, David Penn, Amity Watson, Iain Macmillan, Martin Reinoso, Cali Bartholomeusz, Kelly Allott, Dean Kolovos, Scott Clack, Klaus Oliver Schubert, Patrick McGorry, Andrew Thompson