Psychotherapy for Self-Disorders in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder

The primary goal of the VITALIZE study is to evaluate the feasibility of SELF-7, a novel phenomenologically informed psychotherapy for self-disorders, as an add-on to standard psychiatric outpatient treatment - Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (F-ACT) - in adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The main question is whether SELF-7 is feasible and acceptable in routine psychiatric outpatient care (F-ACT teams). A secondary objective of the study is to explore whether SELF-7 may reduce psychological distress related to self-disorders and improve personal recovery, well-being, functioning, perceived stress, suicidal ideation, symptom severity, insight, and self-disorders. Researchers will compare SELF-7 plus F-ACT with F-ACT alone. Participants will be randomized to one of the two groups, complete clinical interviews and questionnaires at baseline, 16 weeks, and 26 weeks, and, if allocated to SELF-7, receive 12 individual psychotherapy sessions in addition to standard care (F-ACT).