A COMPARISON OF 2 LEVELS OF FAMILY-AIDED ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT

Objective: The study examined differences in outcomes for patients wit h schizophrenic disorders who were receiving assertive community treat ment based on whether their families were involved in their treatment more intensively in psychoeducational multifamily groups or episodical ly in crisis family intervention. Methods: Sixty-eight individuals who met DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenic disorders and who had at lea st one other major complicating factor were randomly assigned to the t wo treatment conditions, and clinical and functional outcomes over a 2 4-month follow-up period were compared. Results: Both groups had signi ficant reductions in rehospitalization rates and symptom levels and in creased participation in treatment. Patients in multifamily group trea tment had higher employment rates during the study. Otherwise, few sig nificant differences in the major outcome variables were found. In bot h treatment conditions family members reported significant improvement s in their objective and subjective burden; in friction, dissatisfacti on, and overinvolvement with the patient; and in the patient's functio ning. Conclusions: The results suggest that systematic family involvem ent enhances the rehabilitation and family-related outcomes of asserti ve community treatment. Patients in multifamily group treatment had be tter employment outcomes.