Metacognitive and Insight Therapy for Persons With Schizophrenia (RCT MERIT)

People with schizophrenia spectrum disorders are faced with significant metacognitive impairments that include difficulties in their ability to form complex representations of the self and others. These impairments are associated with increased symptoms, impaired subjective self-experiences, and lower social functioning. As a result, interventions that enhance metacognitive capacity have been recently developed and explored. One of these interventions is Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy (MERIT; Lysaker et al., 2014). MERIT is an integrative model of psychotherapy that seeks to promote holistic metacognitive capacity and consequently increase a positive sense of agency and sense of meaning in life among clients with schizophrenia. Several case studies (including in Bar-Ilan's community clinic), as well as a recent pilot study, showed increased metacognitive abilities and a decrease in symptoms following MERIT. The current study will explore both the effectiveness and the change mechanisms that underlie MERIT interventon among clients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, via both pre- and post-measures of the intervention's outcome and session-by-session estimations of the therapeutic process.

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Key information

Conditions

Diagnosis of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Mental Disorders Schizophrenia Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Age range

18 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Bar-Ilan University

Ramat Gan, Israel

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Ability to provide informed consent
Ability to read and write in Hebrew

Exclusion criteria

No co-morbid nuerological condition
No hospitalization in the last 6 months

Treatment and study plan

MERIT

Behavioral

Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy

Primary outcomes

Metacognition Assessment Scale-Abbreviated (MAS-A)

Time frame: Prior to the begining of the therapy (baseline, pre-treatment), and again at the end of the therapy (six months later, post-treatment)
The Metacognition Assessment Scale-Abbreviated (MAS-A) is a rating scale used to assess metacognitive abilities in individuals, particularly those with psychiatric conditions. The scale consists of four domains that reflect one's ability to understand different mental phenomena and use this understanding in order to cope with psychological challenges.

Higher scores indicate a higher complexity of functions and ideas in each domain, i.e. higher values represent a better outcome. The four scales/domains:
- self-reflectivity (min 1 to max 9) ;
- understanding of the other's mind (min 1 to max 7) ;
- decentration (min 1 to max 3) ;
- mastery (min 1 to max 9). The total score is the sum of the ratings in each subscale. Thus, the total score can be ranged from 4 (min) to 28 (max), when higher values represent a better outcome.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Bar-Ilan University, Israel

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Metacognitive and Insight Therapy (MERIT) for Persons With Schizophrenia: Assessment of Session by Session Progress and Outcome.

Important dates

Study start: 2018
Primary completion: 2021
Study completion: 2021
First posted: Feb 9, 2018
Registry last updated: Mar 6, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed