The Relationship Between Boredom Proneness, Symptom Severity, and Hallucination Proneness in an Inpatient Population

Synopsis:

This study seeks to investigate the correlation between boredom proneness, symptom severity, and hallucination proneness in an inpatient population at a New York State psychiatric hospital. Students working on this research study will have the opportunity to gain hands-on intensive clinical and research experience on an inpatient unit, working with patients who are suffering from severe mental illness. Student volunteers should have a strong interest in clinical psychology, psychopathology (particularly schizophrenia/psychosis), boredom, and clinical assessments. Assisting in this project will involve clinical interviewing and administering self-report questionnaires to patients currently on an inpatient unit. We will be re-administering these measures to the same subjects again two weeks later. Students will be trained to interview using the SANS/SAPS as a guide, and will be given detailed information and instructions regarding the self-report questionnaires (Launay-Slade Hallucination Proneness Scale, Boredom Proneness Scale, and the Multi-Dimensional State Boredom Measure). Further assistance in data entry and analysis will be needed, and students with a strong statistical/SPSS background are encouraged to join this project.

Important notes:

Students should be aware that many of the patients will have severe deficits and we will be working directly on an inpatient unit, which can potentially be upsetting or emotionally triggering. Further, data collection for this project is being completed at Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center in Brentwood, NY (Long Island), about 1-1.5 hours outside NYC.

Expected Commitment:

Every Tuesday from 1-1:45pm, we will be having a mandatory meetings to discuss the progress of the project. Every Friday, we will be going to Pilgrim State to test participants and students should be prepared to spend an entire day there (usually 10am-5pm). Students must provide their own transportation via the LIRR, but transportation between the hospital and the LIRR station will be provided.