Past research
Here you’ll find details of the evidence behind SloMo, including our past publications, and an overview of SloMo’s development.
Does SloMo work?
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We previously tested SloMo (SlowMo Release 1) in a gold-standard research study (a randomised controlled trial) including 361 individuals allocated to receive either 8 sessions of SloMo and their usual care, or to just continue with their usual care.
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In the trial, people in the group that received therapy had lower paranoia after 3 & 6 months, compared to people who just received their usual care.
The therapy helped people to slow down more and worry less. Wellbeing also improved.
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People who tried SloMo have reported finding it enjoyable and easy to use.
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The group of people who took part in the SlowMo1 study represented people from a wide range of backgrounds (i.e., across gender, age, ethnicity, use of technology).
Our previous research found that engagement with and experience of SloMo was not impacted by these characteristics.
We have designed SloMo to be an accessible, engaging, and effective intervention that meets the needs of a diverse range of people and therapists.
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SloMo is the product of over 15 years of research and development.
We have improved SloMo to prepare for roll out in routine NHS services, by building on our learning from the SlowMo1 trial, while keeping the key content and principles unchanged.
We have:
- Expanded the therapy to help with a wider range of worries about harm from others.
- Made sure the software can work across multiple devices.
- Developed additional guidance to support set up.
- Improved the user experience for both therapists and SloMo users through co-production with people with lived experience of worries about harm.
See the timeline below for an overview of SloMo's development.
Development of SloMo
See below for a timeline of SloMo’s development so far:
All publications
Digital technologies to help manage symptoms of psychosis and prevent relapse in adults and young people: early value assessment.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2024).
The service user experience of SlowMo therapy: A co‐produced thematic analysis of service users’ subjective experience.
Greenwood et al. (2022). Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice.
Bridging the digital divide in psychological therapies: observational study of engagement with the SlowMo mobile app for paranoia in psychosis.
Hardy et al. (2022). JMIR Human Factors.
Effects of SlowMo, a blended digital therapy targeting reasoning, on paranoia among people with psychosis: A randomized clinical trial.
Garety et al. (2021). JAMA Psychiatry.
The impact of Patient and Public Involvement in the SlowMo study: Reflections on peer innovation.
Greenwood et al. (2022). Health Expectations.
SlowMo therapy, a new digital blended therapy for fear of harm from others: An account of therapy personalisation within a targeted intervention.
Ward et al. (2021). Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice.
Digitally supported CBT to reduce paranoia and improve reasoning for people with schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis: the SlowMo RCT.
Garety et al. (2021). Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation.
How inclusive, user-centered design research can improve psychological therapies for psychosis: development of SlowMo.
Hardy et al. (2018). JMIR Mental Health.
SlowMo, a digital therapy targeting reasoning in paranoia, versus treatment as usual in the treatment of people who fear harm from others: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
Garety et al. (2017). Trials.
Thinking Well: A randomised controlled feasibility study of a new CBT therapy targeting reasoning biases in people with distressing persecutory delusional beliefs.
Waller et al. (2015). Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry.
Cognitive mechanisms of change in delusions: an experimental investigation targeting reasoning to effect change in paranoia.
Garety et al. (2015). Schizophrenia Bulletin.
A randomized experimental investigation of reasoning training for people with delusions.
Ross et al. (2011). Schizophrenia Bulletin.
Targeting reasoning biases in delusions: a pilot study of the Maudsley Review Training Programme for individuals with persistent, high conviction delusions.
Waller et al. (2011). Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry.
Optimising SloMo, a digitally supported therapy targeting paranoia, for implementation using inclusive, human-centred design.
Gant et al. (submitted). JMIR Human Factors.
Co-designing technology to improve psychological therapy for psychosis: SloMo, a blended digital therapy for fear of harm from others.
Hardy et al. (2024). Schizophrenia Research.