OnTrack>An Online Role-Playing Game for Young People With First Episode Psychosis

Summary

The research team will develop and test a prototype version of OnTrack\>An Online Role-Playing Game (OnTrack\>The Game or OTG), an online role-playing game designed for youth and young adults experiencing First Episode Psychosis (FEP). Phase I showed positive changes in quantitative measures of hope and recovery, as well as an enthusiastic response to the prototype as evidenced by qualitative interviews. In Phase II, the research team will refine, expand and finalize OTG and evaluate the effectiveness of OTG.

Conditions

• Psychosis
• Schizoaffective Disorder
• Schizophrenia

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

OnTrack>TheGame (OTG)

OTG clients will be informed that the game can be played on a computer or a tablet and the time estimate for completing the game is approximately 5-8 hours. OnTrack\>The Game offers players the opportunity to immerse in a fictional neighborhood that centers around four domains for supportive recovery as defined by SAMHSA: health, home, purpose and community. The player interacts with other game characters including new acquaintances, friends/peers, a family member, and a treatment team, allowing the player to practice social and communication skills, while fostering personal relationships and building a support network. Additionally, the game provides players with helpful resources including psychoeducation materials and videos of real people who have experienced a first episode of psychosis, sharing their stories of hope and recovery. As a whole, the game provides a safe environment to promote goal attainment and recovery.

BEHAVIORAL

Recovery Videos (RV)

As described, RV clients will have access to a website that includes recovery videos and static psychoeducation materials. In this condition, mental health providers will also ask about possible reactions to viewing the recovery videos and information on the website.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc.

  collaborator OTHER

• New York State Psychiatric Institute

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Maryland, College Park

  collaborator OTHER

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• Center for Social Innovation, Massachusetts

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Bethany Marcogliese, PhD · Center for Social Innovation

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Max Age

30 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-11-01

Primary Completion

2021-07-31

Completion

2021-07-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations