Dynamics of Risk Perception and Risk Behavior in Alcohol Use Disorder and Schizophrenia (PathRisk)

Pathological Risk: Dynamics of Risk Perception and Risk Behavior in Alcohol Use Disorder and Schizophrenia

The hyper- or hypo-attribution of risks is deeply related to the core pathological mechanisms of mental disorders and at the same time engaging in risky behaviors influences their course and outcomes. The investigators study risk perception, risk behaviors and underlying brain mechanisms in a longitudinal design in three groups of psychiatric patients who participate in a psychological intervention that is aimed to reduce risk behavior and increase risk perception. Patients with schizophrenia (SZ), alcohol use disorder (AUD) and both disorders (SZ + AUD) are recruited during psychiatric in-patient treatment and participate in a combined face-to-face and mobile intervention that starts before release and ends four weeks after discharge. The standardized 4-session face-to-face group intervention that is based on motivational interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 2013) and relapse prevention (Marlatt & Donovan, 2005) and addresses the reduction of disorder-specific risk behaviors, i.e. alcohol use for AUD and SZ+AUD and medication non-adherence for SZ. After discharge, a 4-week ecological momentary intervention (EMI) supports participants to maintain abstinence from risk behaviors and to strengthen coping in high-risk situations relying on mental contrasting and implementation intentions (Oettingen & Gollwitzer, 2011). Participants will be assessed in fMRI and behavioral measurements and by self-report pre and post interventional phase, furthermore they participate in an ecological momentary assessment during the post-discharge phase which assesses risk behaviors, high-risk situations and risk perception in real life contexts.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to reduce risk behaviors and increase risk perception that combines a standardised face-to-face group therapy before discharge from in-patient treatment and a standardised ecological momentary intervention delivered by mobile phones during the four weeks after discharge. For SZ the target risk behavior is medication non-adherence and for AUD and AUD & SZ it is alcohol use.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to increase non-risk behaviors that combines a standardised face-to-face group therapy before discharge from in-patient treatment and a standardised ecological momentary intervention delivered by mobile phones during the four weeks after discharge. In this control intervention for patient groups the target behavior is cognitive exercises.

Alcohol drinking (for AUD and AUD+SZ) and medication non-adherence (for SZ) as recorded by ecological momentary assessment (EMA)

Change of risk perception after critical event depending on the outcome of the critical event (engaging is risk behavior or not) as defined by Klepper et al. (2017)

Inclusion Criteria: for patient groups: fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for AUD or SZ or both Exclusion Criteria: for patient groups and healthy control group: no sufficient command of German language neurological disorder for patient groups: acute psychotic episode acute suicidality or not distanced from self-harming behaviors other substance use disorder (exception: nicotine and caffeine use disorders) for healthy control group: absence of any psychiatric diagnosis (exception: nicotine and caffeine use disorders)

Klepper S, Odenwald M, Rosner S, Senn S, Menning H, Pereyra-Kroll D, Rockstroh B. Experience-Induced Change of Alcohol-Related Risk Perception in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders. Front Psychol. 2017 Nov 13;8:1967. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01967. eCollection 2017.

Gollwitzer P, Oettingen G (2011). Planning promotes goal striving. In: KD Vohs, RF Baumeister (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation: Research, Theory, and Applications (2nd edition, chapter 9, pp. 162 - 184). The Guilford Press.