Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01926613

Thinking Skills for Work in Severe Mental Illness

The purpose of this study is help people with serious mental illness and receiving vocational rehabilitation get and keep the job they want by improving their thinking skills, such as attention and memory, using computer exercises and other strategies. One half of the participants in the study will receive vocational rehabilitation and the exercises to improve thinking skills, and the other half will receive just vocational rehabilitation. All participants will receive an assessment of symptoms and thinking skills at the beginning of the study and 6, 12, and 24 months later. Work activity during the 24 months in the study will be collected. It is expected that those participants who receive the practice of their thinking skills will be more likely to get and keep the job they want compared with people who do not receive this treatment.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Schizophrenia Anxiety Disorder Anxiety Disorders Bipolar Disorder Bipolar and Related Disorders Depressive Disorder Depressive Disorder, Major Major Depression Mental Disorders Mood Disorders Psychotic Disorders Schizoaffective Disorder Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Thresholds, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, United States

Loading trial locations.

About this study

This randomized controlled trial is evaluating the effectiveness of a pilot-tested, manualized cognitive remediation intervention entitled the "Thinking Skills for Work Program" by comparing it to enhanced supported employment services in clients with severe mental illness (SMI) who are participants in high fidelity supported employment programs at the Greater Mental health Center of Manchester and Thresholds, Inc., Chicago, Il, but who have had difficulty getting or keeping jobs. Participants are randomized to either the Thinking Skills for Work (cognitive remediation +supported employment; CT+SE) or enhanced supported employment (E-SE), with cognitive, symptom, and quality of life assessments performed at baseline, 3 months (following the completion of the computerized cognitive training component of the Thinking Skills for Work program), 12 months, and 24 months, and employment data gathered over the full 2-year period. For the E-SE condition, supported employment services are enhanced by training provided to the employment specialists regarding to recognize cognitive problems related to work performance, and how employment specialists can teach clients coping strategies for managing these problems. Primary analyses will focus on testing the hypotheses that the Thinking Skills for Work Program (CT+SE) leads to better cognitive functioning and better competitive work outcomes over the 2-year follow-up period compared to the E-SE program.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Chronic mental disorder
  • Minimum age 18
  • Unemployed
  • Wants employment
  • Must be a recipient of services at one of two participating agencies
  • Fluent in English
  • Willing and legally able to provide informed consent to participate in study -Subjects with court appointed legal guardians will be included

Exclusion criteria

  • History of neurological conditions that impair cognition

Treatment and study plan

Thinking Skills for Work Program

Behavioral

The Thinking Skills for Work includes assessment of cognitive strengths and weaknesses and their relationship with work history, computerized cognitive practice, compensatory strategy training, and integration of cognitive and supported employment services.

Supported Employment

Behavioral

Supported Employment is an evidence based vocational rehabilitation program

Primary outcomes

  1. AMOUNT OF EMPLOYMENT

    Time frame: 24 months

    TOTAL HOURS OF COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT FROM BASELINE TO 24 MONTHS. TOTAL WEEKS OF EMPLOYMENT FROM BASELINE TO 24 MONTHS. TOTAL NUMBER OF JOBS HELD FROM BASELINE TO 24 MONTHS.

Secondary outcomes

  1. EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING AND MEMORY

    Time frame: BASELINE, 6, 12, and 24 months

    CHANGE FROM BASELINE IN EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING AND MEMORY AT 6 MONTHS USING THE MATRICS COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT BATTERY. CHANGE FROM BASELINE IN EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING AND MEMORY AT 12 MONTHS USING THE MATRICS COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT BATTERY.. CHANGE FROM BASELINE IN EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING AND MEMORY AT 24 MONTHS USING THE MATRICS COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT BATTERY.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Registry information

Official study title

Cognitive Rehabilitation and Supported Employment for Severe Mental Illness

Acronym: TSW

Important dates

Study start
2006
Primary completion
2009
Study completion
2011
First posted
Aug 21, 2013
Registry last updated
Aug 21, 2013

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.

Related clinical trials

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