Authors

Miriam Vázquez Campo1, Yolanda Maroño Souto2, Alejandro Alberto García Caballero3

Position

1Doctora en Psicología. Enfermera. Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense2Psicóloga Clínica. Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense3Doctor en Psiquiatría. Hospital de Día de Salud Mental. Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense

Contact address

Miriam Vázquez Campo. C/ Concejo, 20-4º B. 32003. Ourense.

Contact email: miriam.vazquez.campo@sergas.es

Abstract

Objective: to assess the efficacy of the E-Motional Training tool on emotional perception training for patients with schizophrenia in terms of clinical improvement and emotional processing, compared with standard treatment.
Method: a randomized, multicenter, single blinded clinical trial was conducted on 60 outpatients with schizophrenia. All patients (control and intervention arms) were treated with drug therapy, case management, and individual and group psychotherapy.
Patients were evaluated before and after the intervention. The control arm followed standard treatment. The intervention arm followed standard treatment, and also a weekly 1-hour session (12 sessions in total) with the E-Motional Training application, which includes tutorials and training modules on emotional perception and microexpressions, as well as a pre-test and a post-test to assess patient progress. Sociodemographical and clinical variables were collected (using the PANSS scale), and the emotional perception was evaluated through the Ekman 60 Faces Test. Descriptive and bivariate analysis was conducted. Statistically significant differences between arms were considered as p< 0.05. The statistical package SPSS 22.0 for R was used.
Results: the arm following training obtained statistically significant data (p< 0.05), both in emotional perception and in reduction of negative symptomatology (p< 0.01) vs. the control arm.
Discussion: the E-Motional Training tool allows self-training on emotional perception for patients with schizophrenia who present emotional perception deficits. This tool also leads to a clinical improvement in patients.

Keywords:

Cognition; emotional adjustment; mind theory; schizophrenia; perception; emotions

Versión en Español

Título:

Entrenamiento en percepción de emociones en pacientes con esquizofrenia