Lancet Psychiatry. 2014 Jun;1(1):23-33. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(14)70247-0. Epub 2014 Jun 4.

Cognitive behaviour therapy to prevent harmful compliance with command hallucinations (COMMAND): a randomised controlled trial.

Birchwood M1, Michail M2, Meaden A3, Tarrier N4, Lewis S5, Wykes T4, Davies L6, Dunn G6, Peters E4.

• 1Division of Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. Electronic address: m.j.birchwood@warwick.ac.uk.
• 2Institute of Mental Health, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
• 3School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
• 4King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, London, UK.
• 5Institute of Brain Behaviour and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
• 6Institute of Population Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.

BACKGROUND:

Acting on command hallucinations in psychosis can have serious consequences for the individual and for other people and is a major cause of clinical and public concern. No evidence-based treatments are available to reduce this risk behaviour. We therefore tested our new cognitive therapy to challenge the perceived power of voices to inflict harm on the voice hearer if commands are not followed, thereby reducing the hearer's motivation to comply.

METHODS:

In COMMAND, a single-blind, randomised controlled trial, eligible participants from three centres in the UK who had command hallucinations for at least 6 months leading to major episodes of harm to themselves or other people were assigned in a 1: 1 ratio to cognitive therapy for command hallucinations + treatment as usual versus just treatment as usual for 9 months. Only the raters were masked to treatment assignment. The primary outcome was harmful compliance. Analysis was by intention to treat. The trial is registered, number ISRCTN62304114.

FINDINGS:

98 (50%) of 197 participants were assigned to cognitive therapy for command hallucinations + treatment as usual and 99 (50%) to treatment as usual. At 18 months, 39 (46%) of 85 participants in the treatment as usual group fully complied with the voices compared with 22 (28%) of 79 in the cognitive therapy for command hallucinations + treatment as usual group (odds ratio 0·45, 95% CI 0·23-0·88, p=0·021). At 9 months the treatment effect was not significant (0·74, 0·40-1·39, p=0·353). However, the treatment by follow-up interaction was not significant and the treatment effect common to both follow-up points was 0·57 (0·33-0·98, p=0·042).

INTERPRETATION:

This is the first trial to show a clinically meaningful reduction in risk behaviour associated with commanding voices. We will next determine if change in power was the mediator of change. Further more complex trials are needed to identify the most influential components of the treatment in reducing power and compliance.

FUNDING:

UK Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health Research.

Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PMID:  26360400