Research

Functional recovery in severe mental illness is a major treatment goal.  However, it is important for people with severe mental illness have their own input into treatments aimed at recovery. Peer specialists are a critical resource for assisting in functional recovery, in that their lived experience can augment the understanding of mental health professionals in terms of what are the critical treatment targets for recovery.  We are interested in speaking to peer specialists to determine what they see as the most important components of recovery and how these components are best evaluated. Participants will be asked to look at a computerized virtual reality assessment system aimed at functional recovery and to provide feedback about its coverage of important domains and user friendliness.

Time commitment: One hour, remote participation. Compensation: $75.

This study is enrolling people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder diagnoses to evaluate the ability of people with these conditions to accurately self-evaluate their cognitive abilities and everyday functioning. Procedures include a clinical interview and 30 days of ecological momentary assessment (EMA), which involves answering questions delivered by pages on a smartphone three times a day and performing memory tests three times a week. Pages take less than 2 minutes to answer, and the memory test takes at most 10 minutes. Questions focus on where you are, who you’re with, what you’re doing, and how you’re feeling. There’s a three-hour assessment at the end of the study.

Compensation: $25 for the first assessment, $1 for each page answered, $5 for each memory test, and $50 for the final assessment.

This study is enrolling people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder diagnoses to learn about the association between perception of other’s emotions and personal reactions including thinking about self-injury. The procedures include a clinical interview and two 14-day periods of ecological momentary assessment three months apart, which involves answering questions on a smartphone three times a day and performing emotion recognition tests three times a week. Questions focus on where you are, who you’re with, what you’re doing, and how you’re feeling. There’s a three-hour assessment at the end of the study.

Compensation: $25 for the first assessment, $1 for each page answered, $5 for each emotion recognition test, and $50 for the final assessment.

All three of the above studies have been designated by the University of Miami Institutional Review Board (IRB) as no more than minimal risk — no research procedures have any risk above and beyond a standard clinical assessment

This study is enrolling people with a schizophrenia diagnosis. All participants will receive computerized cognitive training, a procedure that’s been proven to improve cognitive functioning. Half the participants will also receive treatment with a medication previously shown to enhance cognition. This study will allow researchers to look at the additive effects of two different active therapies to improve cognition.

Participants will be compensated for clinical and other assessment visits and using the computerized cognitive training system at home.