The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) received a $389,880 Project Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242). The grant, awarded on September 7, 2024, will fund the development and testing of behavioral economics and financial incentive-based strategies to improve treatment engagement, medication adherence, and substance avoidance for patients transitioning from coordinated specialty care (CSC) for first-episode psychosis to post-CSC care. The project aims to address the challenge of maintaining short-term gains achieved through CSC by leveraging text messaging, mobile health apps, and ethically-informed behavioral economic interventions. The research will be guided by a steering committee of stakeholders, including CSC researchers, patients, family members, and clinicians. Successful completion of this K23 award is expected to lead to an R01 application to conduct a larger randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness, cost implications, and implementation of these strategies in improving psychosis treatment outcomes.
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