Deploying a Texting Intervention for Early Psychosis; From Research to Real-World Practice

The vast majority of young adults with early psychosis own mobile phones, identify texting as their preferred communication modality, and report an interest in messaging-based treatments. Researchers in the BRiTE Center developed a texting intervention for people with psychosis called the Mobile Interventionist. Treatment is conducted via daily recovery-oriented text conversations between patients and a trained messaging practitioner. This novel form of engagement produces an asynchronous but continuous form of treatment and combines the advantages of digital health (i.e., accessibility, reach beyond the brick-and-mortar clinic, low intensity), with the flexibility, personal tone and sensitivity of a clinician. Several studies have demonstrated that our texting intervention approach is feasible, acceptable, engaging and effective. This initiative will help translate this promising research into real-world clinical practice by implementing the Mobile Interventionist texting model at the University of Washington’s Specialized Treatment Program for Early Psychosis (STEP).

Clinically, the intervention may improve the illness management of young adults with early psychosis participating in the pilot, improving their long-term trajectories. Programmatically, the pilot bridges the research/practice gap by providing training and guided clinical experience to a real-world clinical team.

Funded by the Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions