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The British Journal of Psychiatry (2005) 187: s85-s90
© 2005 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Integrated treatment of first-episode psychosis: effect of treatment on family burden

OPUS trial

PIA JEPPESEN, MD, PhD, LONE PETERSEN, MSc and ANNE THORUP, MD

Department of Psychiatry, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

MAJ-BRITT ABEL, MD and JOHAN ØEHLENSCHLÆGER, MD

Sct Hans Hospital, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark

TORBEN Ø. CHRISTENSEN, MSc and GERTRUD KRARUP, MD

Psychiatric Hospital Risskov, Denmark

RALF HEMMINGSEN, MD, DMSc and PER JØRGENSEN, MD, MSc

Psychiatric Hospital Risskov, Denmark

MERETE NORDENTOFT, PhD, MPH

Department of Psychiatry, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

Correspondence: Dr Pia Jeppesen, Bispebjerg Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, DK-2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark. Tel: +45 353 12496; fax: +45 353 13558; e-mail: pj02{at}bbh.hosp.dk

Declaration of interest None.

Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

*Paper presented attheThird International Early Psychosis Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2002.

Background The families of patients with first-episode psychosis often play a major role in care and often experience lackof support.

Aims To determine the effect of integrated treatment v. standard treatment on subjective burden of illness, expressed emotion (EE), knowledge of illness and satisfaction with treatment in key relatives of patients with a first episode of schizophrenia-spectrum disorder.

Method Patients with ICD–10 schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (first episode) were randomly assigned to integrated treatment or to standard treatment. Integrated treatment consisted of assertive community treatment, psychoeducational multi-family groups and social skills training. Key relatives were assessed with the Social Behaviour Assessment Schedule (SBAS, burden of illness), the 5-min speech sample (EE), and a amultiple choice questionnaire at entry and after 1 year.

Results Relatives in integrated treatment felt less burdened and were significantly more satisfied with treatment than relatives in standard treatment. There were no significant effects of intervention groups on knowledge of illness and EE.

Conclusions The integrated treatment reduced family burden of illness and improved satisfaction with treatment.




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The British Journal of Psychiatry, February 1, 2006; 188(2): 198 - 198.
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