[The Integrated Psychological Treatment (IPT) program in an ambulatory psychiatric context: a clinical study]

Among the actual rehabilitation programs offered to patients with schizophrenic disorders, the IPT (Integrated Psychological Treatment) is one paradigm which combines cognitive and psychosocial strategies. A solid body of evidence, derived from controlled studies, indicates that IPT improves cognitive and social functioning and reduces symptoms severity. Nevertheless, little is known about its efficacy in routine clinical conditions. In this article, the authors address this issue. Our clinical experience with IPT in an ambulatory psychiatric service is presented. The results show that only few patients find useful to participate to all IPT strategies. Patients who refuse or accept to be enrolled in this rehabilitation program share the same demographic, clinical., symptoms and cognitive characteristics. After two years, the outcome of these two groups is similar when we consider the rate of readmissions, the number of hospitalisations, the length of stay and the number of suicides. These observations suggest that IPT strategies in clinical routine are probably less efficient than in well controlled studies. They also raise the question to define an individualised rehabilitation program that fits particular patients' needs.