Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy (MERIT) for Persons With a Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder and Interpersonal Trauma.

Schizophrenia often involves a loss of metacognitive capacity, the ability to form complex and integrated representations of self and others. Independent of symptoms and neurocognition, deficits in synthetic metacognition are related to difficulties engaging in goal-directed activities in social and vocational settings. Against this backdrop, the authors provide a case report of the effects of metacognitive reflection and insight therapy (MERIT) provided over the course of seven months to assist a client with persistent schizophrenia. Eight elements of MERIT that stimulate and promote metacognitive capacity are presented. As illustrated in this article, these elements helped the client to move from a state in which he had virtually no complex ideas about himself or others to one in which he had developed integrated and realistic ideas about his own identity and that of others. He then could use these representations to understand and effectively respond to life challenges.