Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Today's youth are more than ever vulnerable to psychosis. Canadian health services have seen a troubling 66% increase in new-onset psychosis in youth. When emerging psychotic symptoms are left untreated, they can progress to lifelong, severe, and debilitating psychotic conditions like schizophrenia. Current Canadian guidelines for psychosis prevention in youth is focused on early identification of at-risk signs of psychosis and treatment with psychotherapy (dialogue and skills orientated treatment). However, commonly available psychotherapy approaches have proven insufficient in truly preventing psychotic illnesses. This study will introduce and determine the outcomes of an innovative psychotherapy program called "Motive-Action", which is designed to target motivation symptoms - a significant hurdle in psychosis prevention. These symptoms, recognized as reduced ability to enjoy and engage in activities, are strong predictors of psychosis. The proposed study will evaluate the effectiveness of Motive-Action, an 8-session group program for youth at risk of psychosis. This treatment will teach how human motivation works, train skills to overcome motivation barriers, and emphasize independent pursuit of motivation-stimulating activities. We will also track changes in brain health before and after treatment. This research aims to enhance the precision of psychotherapy for youth at risk of psychosis. We will advance a pioneering prevention model for mental health services nationwide and offer renewed hope for Canadian youth with psychosis vulnerability to change their life's course for the better.