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A randomized, controlled trial of a brief interventional package for schizophrenic out-patients
D G Cunningham Owens1, A Carroll, S Fattah
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh, UK.
Objective:
To evaluate the impact on outcome of a simple educational intervention in schizophrenic patients at risk of relapse.
Method:
At discharge, 114 schizophrenic patients with at least one previous episode were assigned randomly to a simple educational intervention which had no resource implications, or standard care.
Results:
The intervention failed to improve outcome. While insight and treatment attitudes improved, suicidal ideation increased. Systematic management of treatment-emergent adverse effects offered no benefits, although incapacitation from extrapyramidal side-effects at discharge predicted relapse.
Conclusion:
There are limits to which psychoeducational interventions can be simplified without loss of effectiveness in terms of relapse prevention in schizophrenia. Enhanced insight may be associated with increased suicidal ideation.