Positive Emotions Program for Schizophrenia (PEPS)

Recent literature has distinguished the negative symptoms associated with a diminished capacity to experience (apathy, anhedonia) from those which are associated with a limited capacity for expression (emotional blunting, alogia). The apathy-anhedonia syndrome tends to be associated with a poorer prognosis than the symptoms related to diminished expression, suggesting that it is the more severe facet of the psychopathology. However the efficacy of drug-based treatments and psychological interventions on primary negative symptoms remains limited. There is a clear clinical need for developing treatments for negative symptoms. The Positive Emotions Programs for Schizophrenia (PEPS) teaches skills to help overcome defeatist thinking and to increase the anticipation and maintenance of positive emotions. PEPS involves eight one-hour group sessions, administered using visual and audio materials as part of a PowerPoint presentation of slides projected onto a screen. The goal of the study is to establish if PEPS is clinically effective by using a randomized, controlled and assessor-blind trial. A combination of PEPS plus treatment as usual will be compared to treatment as usual alone. Participants diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder will undergo either intervention for eight weeks. Testing will evaluate individuals' current psychopathology and ability to savor pleasure and will be performed at the time of inclusion, at the end of the eight-week intervention and at six month follow-up.