Pathological Risk: Dynamics of Risk Perception and Risk Behavior in Alcohol Use Disorder and Schizophrenia

The hyper- or hypo-attribution of risks is deeply related to the core pathological mechanisms of mental disorders and at the same time engaging in risky behaviors influences their course and outcomes. The investigators study risk perception, risk behaviors and underlying brain mechanisms in a longitudinal design in three groups of psychiatric patients who participate in a psychological intervention that is aimed to reduce risk behavior and increase risk perception.

Patients with schizophrenia (SZ), alcohol use disorder (AUD) and both disorders (SZ + AUD) are recruited during psychiatric in-patient treatment and participate in a combined face-to-face and mobile intervention that starts before release and ends four weeks after discharge. The standardized 4-session face-to-face group intervention that is based on motivational interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 2013) and relapse prevention (Marlatt & Donovan, 2005) and addresses the reduction of disorder-specific risk behaviors, i.e. alcohol use for AUD and SZ+AUD and medication non-adherence for SZ. After discharge, a 4-week ecological momentary intervention (EMI) supports participants to maintain abstinence from risk behaviors and to strengthen coping in high-risk situations relying on mental contrasting and implementation intentions (Oettingen & Gollwitzer, 2011). Participants will be assessed in fMRI and behavioral measurements and by self-report pre and post interventional phase, furthermore they participate in an ecological momentary assessment during the post-discharge phase which assesses risk behaviors, high-risk situations and risk perception in real life contexts.