The combination of oxytocin and mindfulness-based group therapy for empathy and negative symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders - A double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Oxytocin, published as a randomized controlled trial.

A 2 × 2 mixed model ANCOVA design was calculated to assess empathy by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and the Multifaceted Empathy Test and negative symptoms by the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms.

Why It Was Studied

Treatment options for social cognition and negative symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) remain limited.

This pilot study hypothesized that oxytocin in a positive social setting through mindfulness-based group therapy (MBGT) would positively affect empathy and negative symptoms as well as affect and stress in an exploratory approach in SSD.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 41 individuals were involved.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and pilot study.

Because people in this Oxytocin study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

As a double-blind Oxytocin study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Oxytocin could be set against what happens without it.

It is described as a pilot, a small early test of whether a larger Oxytocin study would be practical.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Empathy, Oxytocin, Pilot Projects, Mindfulness, Schizophrenia and Psychotherapy, Group.

The authors tagged it with the keywords Affect, Negative symptoms, Schizophrenia spectrum disorder and Stress.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Oxytocin in 41 individuals.

The publication is from 2024 (Journal of psychiatric research), a journal based in England.

More context: the Oxytocin compound page, all human trials.