C. Brooker et al., THE OUTCOME OF TRAINING COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRIC-NURSES TO DELIVER PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTION, British Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 1994, pp. 222-230
Background. A prospective quasi-experimental design was used to evalua
te the effect of training CPNs to undertake psychosocial intervention
with families caring for a relative with schizophrenia. Method. Patien
ts meeting predetermined criteria were allocated to either an initial
waiting-list control group or a delayed intervention group. The CPNs w
ere trained to offer family interventions to a total target group of 4
8. Treatment was eventually accepted by 85%, of whom 81% (n=34) were f
ollowed-up for 12 months. Families received a weekly mean session of 4
7 minutes (compared with 33 minutes in the controls). The main outcome
measures are frequency and severity of symptoms (KGV), social functio
ning (SFS) and days in hospital. Carers' minor psychiatric morbidity (
GHQ) and knowledge (KASI) are also reported. Results. In the patient g
roup both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia improved
significantly (P less than or equal to 0.001 and P less than or equal
to 0.01 respectively) to 12-month follow-up, as did a global measure
of social functioning (P less than or equal to)0.001. Tentative eviden
ce was also collected that family intervention reduced in-patient epis
odes. Benefits for relatives included a decrease in minor psychiatric
morbidity (P less than or equal to 0.05) and an increase in knowledge
about neuroleptic drugs (P less than or equal to 0.001). Conclusions.
The study offers some evidence that CPNs can be taught to improve the
outcome for families who care for a relative with schizophrenia.