© 2000 Evidence-Based Mental Health
A needs based intervention for patients with schizophrenia and their carers reduced relapse and carer needs
Barrowclough C, Tarrier N, Lewis S, et al. Randomised controlled effectiveness trial of a needs-based psychosocial intervention service for carers of people with schizophrenia. Br J Psychiatry 1999 Jun;174:505–11.
QUESTION: In patients with schizophrenia, does a 24 week needs based family inter-vention (compared with family support alone) reduce relapse and relieve carer problems?
Randomised (allocation concealed*), blinded (outcome assessor)*, controlled trial.
2 mental health units in Manchester, UK.
77 patients who were 18–65 years of age (mean age 36 y, 65% men) with a clinical ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or delusional disorder. Other inclusion criteria were schizophrenia for 
2 years (mean duration 12.7 y), 1 relapse of psychotic symptoms requiring hospital admission in the previous 2 years (mean number of admissions to hospital 7.0), and 10 hours each week of contact with their primary carer. Exclusion criteria were organic brain disease or learning disability. Each patient was entered into the study with 1 primary carer (mean age 53 y, 71% women). Post-test assessments were completed by 90% of patient carer pairs.
39 patient carer pairs were allocated to receive family support plus a needs based psychosocial intervention service and 38 were allocated to family support alone. A family support
Royal South Hants Hospital Southampton, UK
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