SchizophreniaMSTNCT05805397
Effectiveness of Motivation Skills Training (MST)
A study testing Motivation Skills Training in people with Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder, run by Columbia University at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
This study will take place at four outpatient clinics serving adults with serious mental illness. Informed consent will be obtained from N=80 individuals with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses (DSM)-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria to… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Motivation Skills Training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 59 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Apr 2024to 25 Sep 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 18-65
- DSM-5 Diagnosis of Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder
- Medically and psychiatrically stable outpatient status
- English Fluency
Who cannot join
- Indications of Intellectual Disability as documented in medical history or measured by < 70 premorbid full scale Intelligence Quotient (IQ) estimate
- Severe substance use within the past three months determined by DSM-5 criteria
- Neurologic condition causing brain disease
- Mild to severe cognitive impairment associated with possible dementia measured by a Mini Mental Status Exam score below 20 in individuals ages 60 and older
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
United States2 sites
The Bridge, Inc.
New York, New York, 10025
New York State Office of Mental Health
New York, New York, 10032
About this study
Official title: Motivation Skills Training to Enhance Functional Outcomes for People With Schizophrenia
This study will take place at four outpatient clinics serving adults with serious mental illness. Informed consent will be obtained from N=80 individuals with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses (DSM)-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria to participate in a randomized controlled trial comparing Motivation Skills Training (MST) to a Healthy Behaviors Control (HBC) group. Eligible participants will receive a baseline assessment including sociodemographic and psychosocial assessments, measures of motivation, goal attainment, and quality of life, as well as measures of executive skills, community functioning, and psychiatric symptoms severity. Both MST and HBC will be implemented as once weekly group therapies. The treatment phase is approximately 12-14 weeks. MST will focus on motivation knowledge and self-regulation skills while HBC will focus on physical health and health-related skills.
Read the detailed description
Schizophrenia is a major public health problem associated with core motivational deficits that are amongst the strongest predictors of impaired functional outcomes. Without motivation, people are unable to maintain their pursuit of employment or educational goals, engage in treatment, and regularly participate in healthy life decisions. Current pharmacological and psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia have demonstrated limited effectiveness for improving this core symptom. Motivation Skills Training (MST) is a novel intervention that addresses this clinical need. The premise of MST is that knowledge about one's level and sources of motivation underlies the ability to regulate (i.e., understand and manage) motivation, and that motivation self-regulation can in turn facilitate task initiation and persistence. By facilitating goal-directed behavior, MST aims to enhance daily functioning and goal attainment in people with schizophrenia. MST teaches people about motivation and how to self-regulate motivation, empowering individuals to become active agents in controlling their own motivation and behavior. This study uses a 2-phase model of intervention testing to establish the feasibility, acceptability and pilot effectiveness of MST for adults ages 18-65 with a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis. An initial open trial of MST in one outpatient clinic will provide stakeholder input on the acceptability and clinical utility of MST content and format, informing refinements to the treatment manual. A subsequent randomized controlled trial will test the effectiveness of MST versus a Healthy Behaviors Control (HBC) group, both conducted in the context of routine recovery-oriented services.
- Conditions
- Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder
- Being tested
- Motivation Skills Training, Healthy Behaviors Control Group
- Keywords
- Mental Illness, Motivation Skills
- Medical subject headings
- Schizophrenia, Psychotic Disorders, Mental Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Motivation Skills TrainingBehavioural
Also called MST
Participants will complete a baseline assessment, receive weekly MST sessions in a group format for a duration of 12 weeks, and will then repeat the assessment battery from baseline immediately following treatment completion and 2-months after.
Healthy Behaviors Control GroupBehavioural
Also called HBC
Participants will complete a baseline assessment, receive weekly HBC sessions in a group format for a duration of 12 weeks, and will repeat the assessment battery from baseline immediately following treatment completion and 2-months after.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Motivation Skills Training (MST) | Experimental | MST is a weekly group-based skills training intervention that aims to improve knowledge about one's level and sources of motivation, the ability to monitor and regulate (understand and manage) motivation so that one can better initiate and sustain goal-directed behavior Receives: Behavioral: Motivation Skills Training |
| Healthy Behaviors Control Group | Active comparator | HBC is a weekly group-based intervention that provides psychoeducation and skills training to help individuals improve physical health Receives: Behavioral: Healthy Behaviors Control Group |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Motivation and Pleasure Scale (MAP)
MAP is a 9-item interviewer rated measure of motivation, pleasure, and engagement in work, school, recreational and social activities. The MAP total score is the sum of all items with a possible range from 0 to 36, with lower scores indicating better outcomes.
Measured: 5 months
Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)
GAS measures progress towards personal goal attainment, rated along a continuum of predetermined successful outcomes on a scale from 0 to 10. A single rating is used to quantify goal attainment with higher scores indicating better outcomes.
Measured: 5 months
Secondary outcomes (1)
Heinrich's Quality of Life Scale (QLS)
QLS is a semi-structured interview which evaluates psychosocial functional outcome. QLS is scored by summing the 7 items reflecting four domains: interpersonal functioning, intrapsychic foundations, instrumental role function, and common objects/activities. Total scores ranges from 0 to 42 where higher scores indicate better functioning.
Measured: 5 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Apr 2023
- Study start15 Apr 2024
- Primary completion18 Sep 2026
- Study completion25 Sep 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for SchizophreniaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Columbia UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Randomized group assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 59 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Columbia University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Alice Saperstein, PhD, Columbia University
- Investigators
- Alice Saperstein, PhD, Principal investigator, Columbia University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05805397
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- AAAU8435
- Other IDs
- 1R34MH129552-01A1, 8394-2
- Acronym
- MST
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 21 Mar 2023
- Last updated
- 30 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: A list of all data expected to be collected in association with this clinical trial will be submitted to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Data Archive. Descriptive and raw data will be submitted on a semi-annual basis.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Motivation Skills Training to Enhance Functional Outcomes for People With Schizophrenia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05805397
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MST / AAAU8435
- Conditions
- Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder
- Keywords
- Mental Illness, Motivation Skills
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 59 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Columbia UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Study start
- 15 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 18 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 25 Sep 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 Apr 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will take place at four outpatient clinics serving adults with serious mental illness. Informed consent will be obtained from N=80 individuals with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses (DSM)-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria to participate in a randomized controlled trial comparing Motivation Skills Training (MST) to a Healthy Behaviors Control (HBC) group. Eligible participants will receive a baseline assessment including sociodemographic and psychosocial assessments, measures of motivation, goal attainment, and quality of life, as well as measures of executive skills, community functioning, and psychiatric symptoms severity. Both MST and HBC will be implemented as once weekly group therapies. The treatment phase is approximately 12-14 weeks. MST will focus on motivation knowledge and self-regulation skills while HBC will focus on physical health and health-related skills.
Detailed description
Schizophrenia is a major public health problem associated with core motivational deficits that are amongst the strongest predictors of impaired functional outcomes. Without motivation, people are unable to maintain their pursuit of employment or educational goals, engage in treatment, and regularly participate in healthy life decisions. Current pharmacological and psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia have demonstrated limited effectiveness for improving this core symptom. Motivation Skills Training (MST) is a novel intervention that addresses this clinical need. The premise of MST is that knowledge about one's level and sources of motivation underlies the ability to regulate (i.e., understand and manage) motivation, and that motivation self-regulation can in turn facilitate task initiation and persistence. By facilitating goal-directed behavior, MST aims to enhance daily functioning and goal attainment in people with schizophrenia. MST teaches people about motivation and how to self-regulate motivation, empowering individuals to become active agents in controlling their own motivation and behavior. This study uses a 2-phase model of intervention testing to establish the feasibility, acceptability and pilot effectiveness of MST for adults ages 18-65 with a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis. An initial open trial of MST in one outpatient clinic will provide stakeholder input on the acceptability and clinical utility of MST content and format, informing refinements to the treatment manual. A subsequent randomized controlled trial will test the effectiveness of MST versus a Healthy Behaviors Control (HBC) group, both conducted in the context of routine recovery-oriented services.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Randomized group assignment
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Motivation Skills Training (MST) | Experimental | Behavioral: Motivation Skills TrainingMST is a weekly group-based skills training intervention that aims to improve knowledge about one's level and sources of motivation, the ability to monitor and regulate (understand and manage) motivation so that one can better initiate and sustain goal-directed behavior |
| Healthy Behaviors Control Group | Active comparator | Behavioral: Healthy Behaviors Control GroupHBC is a weekly group-based intervention that provides psychoeducation and skills training to help individuals improve physical health |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Age 18-65
- DSM-5 Diagnosis of Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder
- Medically and psychiatrically stable outpatient status
- English Fluency
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Indications of Intellectual Disability as documented in medical history or measured by < 70 premorbid full scale Intelligence Quotient (IQ) estimate
- Severe substance use within the past three months determined by DSM-5 criteria
- Neurologic condition causing brain disease
- Mild to severe cognitive impairment associated with possible dementia measured by a Mini Mental Status Exam score below 20 in individuals ages 60 and older
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Motivation Skills TrainingAlso: MSTParticipants will complete a baseline assessment, receive weekly MST sessions in a group format for a duration of 12 weeks, and will then repeat the assessment battery from baseline immediately following treatment completion and 2-months after. | Behavioural | Motivation Skills Training (MST) |
| Healthy Behaviors Control GroupAlso: HBCParticipants will complete a baseline assessment, receive weekly HBC sessions in a group format for a duration of 12 weeks, and will repeat the assessment battery from baseline immediately following treatment completion and 2-months after. | Behavioural | Healthy Behaviors Control Group |
Primary outcome
Motivation and Pleasure Scale (MAP)
Time frame: 5 months
MAP is a 9-item interviewer rated measure of motivation, pleasure, and engagement in work, school, recreational and social activities. The MAP total score is the sum of all items with a possible range from 0 to 36, with lower scores indicating better outcomes.
Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)
Time frame: 5 months
GAS measures progress towards personal goal attainment, rated along a continuum of predetermined successful outcomes on a scale from 0 to 10. A single rating is used to quantify goal attainment with higher scores indicating better outcomes.
1 secondary outcome
Heinrich's Quality of Life Scale (QLS)
Time frame: 5 months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. A list of all data expected to be collected in association with this clinical trial will be submitted to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Data Archive. Descriptive and raw data will be submitted on a semi-annual basis.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Alice Saperstein, PhD principal investigator
Columbia University
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Motivation Skills Training in people with Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder, run by Columbia University at 2 sites in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Motivation and Pleasure Scale (MAP) (time frame: 5 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Oct 2026.