2009-2010

Abstract

Health care that addresses the emotional regulation capacity of patients with schizophrenia confronted with daily stress may contribute to a less anxious life. A psycho-physiological training (cardiac coherence training; CCT) focusing on emotion regulation is known to decrease anxiety for non clinical individuals. We performed a pilot cross sectional survey to explore the benefits of CCT for clinically stable patients with schizophrenia. Ten patients were enrolled in the program consisting in height to twelve weekly one hour session program during a 2-month follow-up. Standardised questionnaires were used before and after the intervention assessing anxiety, well-being outcomes, and how patients deal with stress and stressors. Results showed that this quite-well accepted intervention improved (or tended to improve) well-being outcomes, state-anxiety, and emotional stressors evaluation. The successful transformations were higher for patients with the highest clinical and emotional suffering. Thus, this pilot study revealed that CCT may help patients with schizophrenia to deal with anxiety in daily life.

Protocols

  • 10 patients
  • 10 individual sessions of CBT and CCT
  • Cohort study: Pre-treatment - Post-treatment - Follow-up 3 month

Funding

  • Funding: none
  • Institution: Centre de réhabilitation de la schizophrénie, Lyon

Contributors

  • Research Coordinator: Dr. Marion Trousselard, Praticien certifié de recherches, CRSSA, DFH. Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS, Bron (n° de lieu de recherche : 22217S) & Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier.
  • Psychologist-Psychotherapist: Dr. Benjamin Putois
  • Physician Partner: Dr. Charly Cungy. Psychiatre ; référent cohérence cardiaque, Rumilly.
  • Physician Partner: Dr. Nicolas Franck, professeur psychiatre. Institut des Sciences Cognitives, Lyon.
  • Physician Partner: Dr. Frédéric Canini, Médecin des armées Ecole du Val de Grâce.

Publication & communication

  • Trousselard, M., Canini, F., Claverie, D., Cungi, C., Putois, B.J., & Franck, N. (2015). Cardiac coherence training to reduce anxiety in remitted schizophrenia, a pilot study. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.