The implementation of the NICE guidelines for schizophrenia: barriers to the implementation of psychological interventions and recommendations for the future

Development and initial evaluation of a clinical prediction model for risk of treatment resistance in first-episode psychosis: Schizophrenia Prediction of Resistance to Treatment (SPIRIT)

BACKGROUND

A clinical tool to estimate the risk of treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) in people with first-episode psychosis (FEP) would inform early detection of TRS and overcome the delay of up to 5 years in starting TRS medication.

AIMS

To develop and evaluate a model that could predict the risk of TRS in routine clinical practice.

METHOD

We used data from two UK-based FEP cohorts (GAP and AESOP-10) to develop and internally validate a prognostic model that supports identification of patients at high-risk of TRS soon after FEP diagnosis. Using sociodemographic and clinical predictors, a model for predicting risk of TRS was developed based on penalised logistic regression, with missing data handled using multiple imputation. Internal validation was undertaken via bootstrapping, obtaining optimism-adjusted estimates of the model's performance. Interviews and focus groups with clinicians were conducted to establish clinically relevant risk thresholds and understand the acceptability and perceived utility of the model.

RESULTS

We included seven factors in the prediction model that are predominantly assessed in clinical practice in patients with FEP. The model predicted treatment resistance among the 1081 patients with reasonable accuracy; the model's C-statistic was 0.727 (95% CI 0.723-0.732) prior to shrinkage and 0.687 after adjustment for optimism. Calibration was good (expected/observed ratio: 0.999; calibration-in-the-large: 0.000584) after adjustment for optimism.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed and internally validated a prediction model with reasonably good predictive metrics. Clinicians, patients and carers were involved in the development process. External validation of the tool is needed followed by co-design methodology to support implementation in early intervention services.

Stakeholder perspectives of family interventions for schizophrenia in Indonesia: a qualitative study

Mental illnesses comprise the single largest source of health-related economic burden globally and low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately affected. Many individuals with schizophrenia do not receive evidence-based, psychosocial interventions as these are largely unavailable, undeveloped, and under-researched in LMICs. Involving service-users and carers in the design of interventions is crucial to ensure stakeholder needs are adequately addressed by the intervention and to aid successful implementation. We aimed to explore the views and perspectives of different stakeholder groups about the delivery, format, and content of family interventions for people living with schizophrenia in Indonesia as a first step towards developing evidence-based, acceptable family interventions. This study used a qualitative design comprising single stakeholder focus groups. Data were analysed separately using the framework approach incorporating deductive and inductive coding within an existing heuristic framework. 51 participants consented to take part in this study comprising six stakeholder consultation groups including service-users (n = 15), caregivers (n = 15) and healthcare professionals (n = 21). Service users were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Caregivers comprised parents (n = 10, 67%), brothers (n = 2, 13%), sister (n = 1, 7%) and husbands (n = 2, 13%). Healthcare professionals were working as nurses (n = 6, 29%), doctors (n = 5, 23%) or cadre's (n = 10, 48%). Caregiver and service-user respondents had limited knowledge or experience of structured family interventions. There was strong support for such interventions, however, for effective delivery a number of challenges exist in terms of widespread stigmatised views, low expectations for involvement in sharing decisions about care and treatment, views that healthcare professionals are expert and have the authority to delegate tasks to families such as responsibility for ensuring medication adherence and understanding the need to balance the needs of both service-users and families when there are conflicting agendas for treatment. These findings can support the development of evidence-based family interventions for families of those with schizophrenia in Indonesia, as user-informed interventions enhance engagement, satisfaction, and adherence to family interventions.

Effect of self-help interventions on psychological, glycemic, and behavioral outcomes in patients with diabetes: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Self-help interventions are beneficial for patients with diabetes; however, related studies have reported conflicting results. To date, no review has examined the effect of self-help interventions on diabetes outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To systematically evaluate the effects of self-help interventions on psychological, glycemic, and behavioral outcomes in patients with diabetes.

DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

METHODS

Five databases-PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrials.gov-were searched from 1996, 1937, 1947, 1887, and 2000, respectively, to 2 June 2023. Studies that employed a randomized controlled trial design, enrolled adults with diabetes, implemented a self-help intervention as the main or an additional intervention, and reported the outcomes of interest were included. Studies providing self-help interventions to patients with gestational diabetes or pregnant women were excluded. The primary outcomes were diabetes distress, depression, and anxiety, and the secondary outcomes were glycemic and behavioral outcomes (self-management behavior, self-efficacy, and quality of life). Hedges' g and the associated 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model to obtain the pooled estimates of short-, mid-, and long-term effects of self-help interventions. Heterogeneity was explored using I2 and Q statistics, and moderator analysis was performed to identify the sources of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Of 17 eligible studies, 16 provided data for meta-analysis. We included 3083 patients with diabetes; the majority were women (61.95 %), and their average age was 55.13 years. Self-help interventions exerted significant short-term effects on diabetes distress (g = -0.363; 95 % CI = -0.554, -0.173), depression (g = -0.465; 95 % CI = -0.773, -0.156), anxiety (g = -0.295; 95 % CI = -0.523, -0.068), glycosylated hemoglobin level (g = -0.497; 95 % CI = -0.791, -0.167), self-efficacy (g = 0.629; 95 % CI = 0.060, 1.197), and quality of life (g = 0.413; 95 % CI = 0.104, 0.721; g = 0.182; 95 % CI = 0.031, 0.333; and g = 0.469; 95 % CI = 0.156, 0.783 for overall, physical, and mental domains, respectively). We also noted significant mid-term effects of self-help interventions on diabetes distress (g = -0.195; 95 % CI = -0.374, -0.016), self-management behavior (g = 0.305; 95 % CI = 0.155, 0.454), and overall quality of life (g = 0.562; 95 % CI = 0.315, 0.810). The certainty of evidence ranged from high to very low certainty for the measured outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-help interventions may have some positive effects on diabetes distress, anxiety, self-management behavior, and quality of life.

REGISTRATION

This review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022329905).

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

This meta-analysis demonstrated that self-help interventions might improve psychological and behavioral outcomes in patients with diabetes.

The use of implementation science to close the research-to-treatment gap for cognitive impairment in psychosis

For people living with psychosis, cognitive impairment is common and can have significant impacts for functional recovery, impacting engagement with treatment and quality of life more broadly. There is now strong evidence for the effectiveness of cognition-focused treatments, such as cognitive remediation to improve clinical and functional outcomes for people with psychosis. However, engagement with treatment has been a long-standing issue in mental health care, including for people with psychosis, who often experience difficulties with motivation. While research on clinical effectiveness of cognition-focused treatment is growing, to date there has been little research focused on the implementation of such treatments and it is not clear how best to support uptake and engagement across diverse mental health settings. Implementation science is the study of methods and strategies to promote the adoption, application, and maintenance of evidence-based practices in routine care. To integrate cognition-focused treatments into routine practice, and improve engagement with treatment and the quality and effectiveness of care for people with psychosis, researchers need to embrace implementation science and research. This paper provides a succinct overview of the field of implementation science, current evidence for implementation of cognition-focused treatments for psychosis and practical guidance for using implementation science in clinical research. The future of psychosis research includes multidisciplinary teams of clinical researchers and implementation scientists, working together with providers and consumers to build the evidence that can improve the implementation of cognition-focused treatments.

Exploring service user perspectives of behavioural family therapy in early intervention in psychosis

AIMS

Family intervention (FI) is recommended in national guidance to be offered to all service users accessing an early intervention in psychosis (EIP) team, due to the consistent evidence base in reducing relapse and rehospitalisation rates. However, FI implementation is poor nationally. Although barriers have been identified at the level of staff member and the organisation, there is a paucity of research identifying service user perspectives.

METHODS

A qualitative questionnaire design was used to explore service user perspectives of behavioural family therapy (BFT) within a specialist EIP service in northwest England.

RESULTS

Most participants contacted reported they lacked knowledge and understanding of BFT, with 54% reporting that this intervention had not been offered to them. This finding was unexpected and is inconsistent with the offer of BFT documentation in their clinical notes. Reasons for accepting BFT included to increase understanding of family members and for them to also be supported. Reasons for declining BFT included a preference for one-to-one interventions and not wanting family involved in their care.

CONCLUSIONS

National guidance on FI for psychosis is not reliably being translated to clinical practice, with many participants reporting that they were not offered this intervention. A key factor in accepting or declining an offer of BFT appeared to be whether participants wanted family members to be involved in their care. A lack of understanding of the BFT approach was evident, it is recommended that the offer of FI in psychosis is improved for service users to make an informed decision.

Selected Trends in Psychotherapy Research: An Index Analysis of RCTs

Background

We wanted to analyze trends in psychotherapy research during the last decade. We used published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that are cited in Web of Science (WoS) as an index for these activities.

Method

We searched for RCTs published between the years 2010 and 2019. Search criteria included cognitive-behavioral treatments (CBT), e-mental health, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), psychodynamic treatments, interpersonal therapy (IPT), schema therapy, systemic therapy, mindfulness treatments, and emotion-focused therapy (EFT). The numbers of publications for each treatment approach were accumulated for 5-year blocks (2010 to 2014; 2015 to 2019).

Results

The search revealed 4,523 hits for the selected treatment options, of which 1,605 were finally included in the analysis. There was a continuous increase in published RCTs, with 68% more trials during the second five-year block. CBT (68%) and eHealth interventions (18%) show an increase in the number of studies, but there were no significant changes in its percentage in relation to all published RCTs. The next frequent treatments were ACT (4%), psychodynamic treatments (2%), IPT (2%), and mindfulness interventions (2%). We found a significant increase of the percentage of mindfulness (p = .008) and a significant decrease of the percentage of psychodynamic treatments (p = .02). Systemic (1.1%), emotion-focused (0.7%) and schema therapy (0.6%) represented smaller parts of published RCTs.

Conclusion

A continuous increase of published RCTs underlines an active field of research on psychological interventions. Third wave treatments such as mindfulness increased their representation in research, while the part of psychodynamic treatments decreased.

Study protocol for the development and internal validation of Schizophrenia Prediction of Resistance to Treatment (SPIRIT): a clinical tool for predicting risk of treatment resistance to antipsychotics in first-episode schizophrenia

INTRODUCTION

Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) is associated with significant impairment of functioning and high treatment costs. Identification of patients at high risk of TRS at the time of their initial diagnosis may significantly improve clinical outcomes and minimise social and functional disability. We aim to develop a prognostic model for predicting the risk of developing TRS in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and to examine its potential utility and acceptability as a clinical decision tool.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will use two well-characterised longitudinal UK-based first-episode psychosis cohorts: Aetiology and Ethnicity in Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses and Genetics and Psychosis for which data have been collected on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. We will identify candidate predictors for the model based on current literature and stakeholder consultation. Model development will use all data, with the number of candidate predictors restricted according to available sample size and event rate. A model for predicting risk of TRS will be developed based on penalised regression, with missing data handled using multiple imputation. Internal validation will be undertaken via bootstrapping, obtaining optimism-adjusted estimates of the model's performance. The clinical utility of the model in terms of clinically relevant risk thresholds will be evaluated using net benefit and decision curves (comparative to competing strategies). Consultation with patients and clinical stakeholders will determine potential thresholds of risk for treatment decision-making. The acceptability of embedding the model as a clinical tool will be explored using qualitative focus groups with up to 20 clinicians in total from early intervention services. Clinicians will be recruited from services in Stafford and London with the focus groups being held via an online platform.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The development of the prognostic model will be based on anonymised data from existing cohorts, for which ethical approval is in place. Ethical approval has been obtained from Keele University for the qualitative focus groups within early intervention in psychosis services (ref: MH-210174). Suitable processes are in place to obtain informed consent for National Health Service staff taking part in interviews or focus groups. A study information sheet with cover letter and consent form have been prepared and approved by the local Research Ethics Committee. Findings will be shared through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and social media. A lay summary will be published on collaborator websites.

Effectiveness of Double-Hit Model (Post-Weaning Social Isolation and NMDA Receptor Antagonist) in the Development of Schizophrenic like Symptoms on Rodents: A Protocol for a Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous neuropsychiatric disorder, categorized by positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. In trying to improve the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia, researchers have turned to "dual hit" models of schizophrenia that are able to reproduce all symptoms of the disorder. The main objective of this protocol is to present a transparent process on how we plan to review the existing international literature on the effectiveness of "dual hit" models used to induce schizophrenia on rodents.

METHODS

Literature search strategies will be developed using medical search headings (MeSH). The MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases will be used to search for electronically published studies. We will search for studies involving inducing schizophrenic symptoms using "dual hit" rodent models (post-weaning social isolation and NMDA receptor antagonist). Studies will be screened by titles, abstracts, keywords, and synonyms followed by identifying the full-text articles. All studies that will pass quality assessment will be included. Data will be extracted by two authors independently and in duplicate from each eligible study to ensure that there is consistency between reviews. If the design and comparator are sufficiently homogenous for all studies, a meta-analysis will be conducted using a random-effect model.

DISCUSSION

The results of this review will contribute to the development of new "dual hit" models that will be able to characterize schizophrenia symptoms better. It will also shed light to researchers on new developments that need to be made in improving animal models of schizophrenia.

Implementation case study: Multifamily group intervention in first-episode psychosis programs

AIM

Family interventions are a core component of first-episode psychosis (FEP) treatment; however, low implementation rates are consistently reported. As such, work is needed to understand the factors impacting real-world treatment delivery. The present paper describes the implementation of the McFarlane-model multifamily psychoeducational groups (MFG) in established FEP early intervention programs within a single state. The aims were to examine (a) training participation and implementation of MFG, (b) barriers and facilitators to implementation, and (c) modifications made to MFG.

METHODS

Practitioners from six established FEP early intervention programs received in-person training and ongoing consultation in MFG. Training participation data were obtained via attendance and implementation outcomes were obtained from practitioner reports. Fifteen months following the initial training, practitioners reported on clinic-specific barriers, facilitators, and modifications across four categories (context, intervention, practitioner, and recipient).

RESULTS

Twenty-three practitioners across six clinics received in-person training and were offered ongoing consultation to support implementation. Difficulties in starting MFG were salient as the earliest group was run 7 months after the initial training, thereby resulting in low overall frequency of groups. A number of barriers spanning context, intervention, practitioner, and recipient domains were noted, the majority of which were clinic-specific. Despite challenges, practitioners identified several facilitators and made modifications to the intervention and its delivery in service of implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Results from this implementation case study highlighted the challenges of delivering MFG in real-world FEP early intervention programs. Further, this paper emphasizes the value in identifying and addressing clinic-specific factors when implementing MFG.

A systematic review of the implementation of psychological therapies in acute mental health inpatient settings

OBJECTIVES

Research has demonstrated that psychological therapies are not routinely delivered in acute mental health inpatient settings despite being recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. This study aimed to identify the barriers and facilitators to implementing psychological therapies in acute mental health inpatient settings.

METHODS

A systematic review and narrative synthesis was undertaken. Primary studies were included if they examined the implementation of a NICE recommended psychological therapy in acute psychiatric inpatient settings and were of any study design. Four databases were searched for eligible studies (MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO and Embase) and Google Scholar.

RESULTS

A total of 16 studies (a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies) were included in the review, and the majority evaluated the implementation of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Overall, the literature was deemed to be of poor to moderate quality. The main barriers to the implementation of psychological therapy were the busy nature of the ward, multi-disciplinary professionals not being suitability trained and the acute nature of service users mental health difficulties. Facilitators to implementation included the adaptation of interventions to be specifically delivered in the acute inpatient setting, training of multi-disciplinary professionals, leadership support with the delivery of psychological therapies and prioritising the therapeutic relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a requirement for senior management to prioritise the implementation of psychological therapies and update clinical guidelines to describe modifications necessary to implement psychological therapies in acute inpatient settings. Future research should improve their methodological quality and continue to develop the evidence base of brief psychological therapies in acute inpatient settings.

Exploring service user and family perspectives of a Culturally adapted Family Intervention (CaFI) for African-Caribbean people with psychosis: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

In the UK, people of African-Caribbean background have the highest rates of psychosis and greatest inequity in mental health services of all ethnicities. National policies have highlighted the lack of evidence-based psychological interventions for this group. The aim of this study was to examine the acceptability of a novel Culturally adapted Family Intervention (CaFI) for African-Caribbean individuals diagnosed with non-affective psychosis and their relatives.

DESIGN

A qualitative design.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews conducted with 22 service users and 12 family members following participation in CaFI. The interview topic guide included perceptions of the needs and benefits of CaFI; usefulness, cultural specificity and accessibility of CaFI therapy and supporting materials; content and delivering of CaFI sessions; views and experiences of working with CaFI therapists; and perceived barriers and facilitators to implementation.

RESULTS

Deductive framework analysis identified three main themes for service users: perceived benefits, barriers and limitations, and delivery of the therapy. Four themes were identified for family members: perceived benefits, perceptions of therapists, delivery of therapy, and accessibility of therapy content, supporting materials, and cultural appropriateness.

CONCLUSIONS

CaFI was found to be an acceptable intervention for African-Caribbean service users with psychosis and their relatives. Family interventions considering the needs of ethnic and cultural groups have the potential to improve the mental health care and experiences of service users and their families.

PRACTITIONER POINTS

The Culturally adapted Family Intervention (CaFI) was viewed as acceptable to African-Caribbean service users with psychosis and their families. Through adapting interventions to be more culturally sensitive, it is possible to enhance the care of those who typically have poor engagement with mental health services. In-keeping with their ethos of individualized care delivery, mental health services should place more emphasis on being able to offer appropriate, culturally adapted interventions to their service users.

The Acceptability and Feasibility of Using Text Messaging to Support the Delivery of Physical Health Care in those Suffering from a Psychotic Disorder: a Review of the Literature

Those suffering with serious mental illness (SMI), such as psychotic disorders, experience life expectancy 15 years shorter than the general population. Cardiovascular disease is the biggest cause of death in those with psychotic disease and many risk factors may be limited by healthy lifestyle choices. Text messaging interventions represent mobile health (mHealth), a nascent way to deliver physical health care to those suffering with a psychotic disorder. This paper aims to review the literature on the feasibility of text messaging to support the delivery of physical health care in those with a psychotic disorder. A thorough electronic database literature review of Medline via Ovid, Embase, APA Psycinfo, Scopus, Cochrane and Web of Science was conducted. Articles were included if text messaging was used as an intervention targeting the physical health of patients with psychotic disorders. A final sample of 11 articles satisfied the eligibility criteria, of which, 3 were ongoing randomised controlled trials. Of the 8 completed trials, all demonstrated the promising feasibility of text messaging, assessed via quotes, conversation samples, response rates, questionnaires or directly based on physical results. 36% of studies analysed those with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, 55% with SMI and 9% with schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, mood disorders or anxiety disorders. Text messaging was used as motivation or reminders (91%), service delivery (27%) or social support (27%) with studies targeting multiple themes simultaneously. This review highlights compelling evidence for the feasibility of text messaging for improvement of physical health in those suffering with psychotic disorders.

Practitioners' application of Let's Talk about Children intervention in adult mental health services

Family-focused interventions can improve outcomes for families where a parent has a mental illness. One such intervention, Let's Talk about Children (Let's Talk), is a series of parent-practitioner conversations in adult mental health with demonstrated improved outcomes for child, parent, and family well-being. This study used a questionnaire to understand the application of Let's Talk by n = 73 trained practitioners from eight adult mental health services who were previously involved in a randomized controlled study in Victoria, Australia. Data were analysed to establish the application of Let's Talk, and statistical analyses were undertaken to identify what influenced practitioners' delivery of Let's Talk. The study details how practitioners used Let's Talk and indicates that most used it as designed, with the majority offering it to parents and approximately 40% delivering it. The findings indicate there is a decline over time in both the number of practitioners using Let's Talk and the number of deliveries over time. Practitioners' use of Let's Talk was influenced by their gender, profession, access to support, time since training, and caseload. The article discusses the implications of these results for sustaining Let's Talk in adult mental health services. While this study gives a baseline of practitioners' application of Let's Talk, further exploration of the experience of practitioners and parents as well as other system factors will be helpful to understand barriers and enablers to continued practice.

Exploring the implementation of cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis using the Normalization Process Theory framework

OBJECTIVE

Evidence suggests that only a minority of service users experiencing psychosis have access to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for psychosis (CBTp). Normalization Process Theory (NPT) is a theoretical framework which focuses on processes by which interventions are implemented and normalized in clinical practice. This study explored the views and experiences of mental health professionals regarding the implementation of CBTp. Barriers and facilitators to implementation were explored using the NPT framework.

DESIGN

A qualitative methodology was adopted involving semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews.

METHODS

A total of 14 members of staff working in the community and crisis mental health teams were recruited. Thematic analysis was used to generate initial themes. The framework approach was utilized to map initial themes to the NPT framework.

RESULTS

Inductive coding generated five overarching themes consisting of 15 individual subthemes which captured the perceived barriers to engagement; contextual barriers to implementation; optimization of implementation; positive attitudes towards implementation; and expectations of implementing CBTp. All but two subthemes mapped on to the NPT framework. The deductive analysis suggested that difficulties in making sense of CBTp among professionals were reflected as service level barriers which impeded wider implementation.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggested a mixture of barriers and facilitators to CBTp implementation. Interpreting our findings within an NPT framework indicates the importance of strong clinical leadership to address difficulties in sense-making and service investment in CBTp.

PRACTITIONER POINTS

Findings indicate a mixture of barriers and facilitators to CBTp implementation. NPT analysis indicates difficulties in coherence among stakeholders regarding the purpose and value of CBTp. Difficulties making sense of CBTp translates into service level barriers and impede the collective action of stakeholders. The role of clinical leadership is crucial in increasing coherence and collective action in services.

The Family Psychoeducation Fidelity Scale: Psychometric Properties

This study examined psychometric properties and feasibility of the Family Psychoeducation (FPE) Fidelity Scale. Fidelity assessors conducted reviews using the FPE fidelity scale four times over 18 months at five sites in Norway. After completing fidelity reviews, assessors rated feasibility of the fidelity review process. The FPE fidelity scale showed excellent interrater reliability (.99), interrater item agreement (88%), and internal consistency (mean = .84 across four time points). By the 18-month follow-up, all five sites increased fidelity and three reached adequate fidelity. Fidelity assessors rated feasibility as excellent. The FPE fidelity scale has good psychometric properties and is feasible for evaluating the implementation of FPE programs. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03271242.

A Feasibility Study of the Translation of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychosis into an Australian Adult Mental Health Clinical Setting

There is evidence that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) is an effective intervention for reducing psychotic symptoms. The recently updated Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines (RANZCP CPG) recommend CBTp for the therapeutic management of schizophrenia and related disorders. Translational research is required to examine how well CBTp can be applied into public mental health services. This feasibility study aimed to provide preliminary evidence on how acceptable, implementable, and adaptable individual or group CBTp may be within a public mental health service in Australia. Twenty-seven participants initially agreed to participate in the study with 16 participants being randomised to either group or individual therapy, 11 starting therapy and 7 completing therapy. The intervention involved approximately 20 h of manualised CBTp. Attendance was higher in the individual therapy. Subjective reports indicated that the therapy was acceptable to all completers. Participants who engaged in individual or group CBTp experienced a similar level of reduction in the severity of hallucinations and delusions. Individual CBTp may be a feasible, acceptable, and effective intervention to include in Australian public mental health services. A pilot trial is now required to provide further evidence for and guidance of how best to translate CBTp protocols to Australian mental health services.

Pilot randomised controlled trial of a brief coping-focused intervention for hearing voices blended with smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention (SAVVy): Feasibility, acceptability and preliminary clinical outcomes

BACKGROUND

Voice-hearing experiences can be distressing and impairing, and existing psychological treatments show modest effectiveness. Ecological momentary assessment and intervention (EMA/I) are two promising approaches which may be used as digital tools to support and enhance existing psychological therapies. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential clinical utility of smartphone-based EMA/I in a blended, coping focused therapy for voice-hearing experiences.

METHOD

This pilot RCT focused on feasibility, acceptability and preliminary estimations of efficacy. Thirty-four participants with persisting and distressing voices were randomised to receive the four-session intervention along-side treatment-as-usual (TAU) or TAU-only.

RESULTS

Findings supported the feasibility and acceptability of the approach, with good engagement and satisfaction rates, and clinical outcomes showed the intervention holds promise for improving coping, overall severity of voices and to some degree their negative impact.

CONCLUSION

This is the first examination of the use of EMA/I in a blended therapy for psychotic experiences, with findings suggesting these technologies show promise as clinical tools.

An ecological momentary intervention incorporating personalised feedback to improve symptoms and social functioning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders

This study examined the feasibility and effectiveness of an interactive smartphone application that aimed to improve daily-life social functioning and symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SZ) with Experience Sampling Method (ESM) derived personalised feedback.Two groups of outpatients with a diagnosis of SZ were included (one receiving ESM-derived personalised feedback (n = 27) and one without feedback (n = 23)) and used the interactive smartphone application for three weeks. Main outcomes were momentary symptoms and social functioning, as assessed by ESM questionnaires. Additionally, feasibility and user-friendliness of the application were assessed. The response rate was 64% for the ESM questionnaires. In the feedback group, participants indicated that on 49% of the ESM days they acted on at least one personalised feedback prompt per day. Momentary psychotic symptoms significantly decreased over time only in the feedback group. Momentary loneliness and questionnaire-assessed psychotic symptoms decreased over time, irrespective of feedback. Participants evaluated the app as user-friendly and understandable. Momentary personalised feedback may impact momentary psychosis in daily life. Feelings of loneliness and questionnaire-based measured psychotic symptoms may be more responsive to non-specific effects of daily-life self-monitoring, not requiring specific feedback. Ecological momentary interventions offer opportunities for accessible and effective interventions in SZ.

Barriers and facilitators to accessing psychological therapies for severe mental health difficulties in later life

Background:

The number of people growing older with severe mental illness (SMI) is rising, reflecting societal trends towards an ageing population. Evidence suggests that older people are less likely to seek help, be referred for and receive psychological therapy compared with younger people, but past research has focused on those with mild to moderate mental health needs.

Aims:

This research aims to identify the specific barriers faced by older people with SMI.

Method:

We interviewed 53 participants (22 service users with SMI aged over 50 years, 11 carers of people with SMI, and 20 health care professionals) about their views and experiences of accessing therapy for SMI in later life.

Results:

Thematic analysis revealed five themes: organizational and resource issues; myths about therapy and attitudinal barriers; stigma; encouraging access to therapy; and meeting age-specific needs.

Conclusions:

Barriers faced by older people with SMI are not only age-related, but also reflect specific issues associated with having a SMI over many years. Improving awareness of the benefits of psychological therapies is important not only for older people with SMI themselves, but also for their carers and staff who work with them.

Opinions and Expectations Related to Job Placement of Individuals with Schizophrenia: A Qualitative Study Including Both Patients and Employers

The present study was conducted to identify the problems related to the placement of individuals with schizophrenia into jobs, the conditions allowing them to keep working and to reveal obstacles to their employment. The depth-interview technique was used for obtaining information from both patients with schizophrenia (n = 25) and the human resource managers of selected companies (n = 8). All interviews were recorded, transcribed and assessed using a thematic analysis approach. After the evaluation of qualitative data, the main emerging themes included the problems and suggestions of the patients, the worries of the employers about persons with schizophrenia and things that they could do about employment. The results of this study can be used to identify solutions to the problem as they were obtained from the individuals who were personally experiencing employment difficulties and from the employers, who were in a position to help solve the problems.

Cognitive Restructuring and Graded Behavioral Exposure for Persecutory Paranoia and Agoraphobic Anxiety in Complex Psychosis

Cognitive behavioral models of psychosis assert the notion of cognitive mediation, in which threat-oriented subjective misinterpretations of anomalous experiences lead to increased levels of emotional distress. Thus, paranoid appraisals of auditory hallucinations often result in hypervigilance and associated anxiety. The prevalence of diagnostic comorbidity between psychosis and anxiety disorders has been shown to be considerable. Among the evidence-based psychological treatments for complex mental ill-health, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) has been supported with particularly promising research outcomes. Yet, despite such encouraging empirical data, the treatment provision often remains insufficient, predominantly among individuals with more acute presentations. Likewise, literature demonstrating the actual utilization of CBTp with complex psychoses appears above all relevant to the daily clinical practice in the specialism of severe mental ill-health. This methodologically rigorous case study describes a successful implementation of CBTp undertaken with a socially withdrawn individual diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and comorbid agoraphobic anxiety disorder. The intervention focused on cognitive restructuring of paranoid appraisals of voices and graded behavioral exposure to anxiety-inducing stimuli. Standardized measurement, behavior frequency sampling, and subjective data were utilized to evaluate the outcomes, indicating a considerable reduction in both paranoia and associated anxiety, and an overall improvement in the client’s behavioral and interpersonal functioning. The article highlights the importance of direct intellectual engagement with the content of paranoia, alongside methodically facilitated graded behavioral exposure and response prevention in the treatment of severe, socially debilitating psychoses with comorbid mood disorders.

Building a Grounded Theory of Engagement in Mindfulness-Based Group Therapy for Distressing Voices

Mindfulness-based group therapy shows promise as a treatment for distressing voice hearing. However, fostering engagement in groups can be challenging, and no theory of engagement in group therapy for distressing voices exists to guide practice or research. This study employed Grounded Theory Method to build a theory of engagement in mindfulness-based groups for distressing voices. Ten service-users and three therapists were interviewed about their experiences of such groups. The model that emerged involves a recursive process of investing in change and continually evaluating its usefulness and safety. Barriers to engagement were often overcome, but sometimes compromised perceived safety, leading to dropout. For others, group participation led to rewards, some of which were integrated beyond group termination. Group engagement can be encouraged by establishing universality around voice hearing early, reducing uncertainty, sharing difficulties with mindfulness practices, and mapping group progress to create a cohering sense of collaboration on therapy tasks.

The U&I study: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial of a pre-cognitive behavioural therapy digital 'informed choice' intervention to improve attitudes towards uptake and implementation of CBT for psychosis

BACKGROUND

At least 40% of people with psychosis have persistent distressing symptoms despite optimal medication treatment. Cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis (CBTp) is the only NICE-recommended individual therapy for psychosis, with effects on symptoms, distress and quality of life. Yet <10% of service-users receive it and 94% of trusts struggle to provide it. Of those offered it, 22-43% refuse or do not attend. We have developed a new pre-CBTp informed choice intervention to address knowledge and attitudes that influence uptake and implementation and now want to test it in a feasibility trial.

METHODS

The design is a two-arm, feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT), with 1:1 randomisation, stratified by participant group and site. Participants are 40 psychosis patients and 40 clinicians, who are ambivalent towards uptake or implementation of CBTp. Sites are community and inpatient services in Sussex and London. The intervention is a pre-CBT digital psychoeducation intervention designed to address identified knowledge and attitudinal barriers to uptake and implementation of CBTp, incorporating behaviour change mechanisms, and supported by animated introductory, patient and clinician stories. The comparator is the NHS choices website for CBT. The primary aim is to assess clinical feasibility (recruitment, randomisation, acceptability, use, delivery, outcome measurement, retention). A secondary aim is a preliminary evaluation of efficacy. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post intervention, and one-month follow-up (blind to treatment arm). The primary efficacy outcome is likelihood of offering/taking up CBTp. Secondary outcomes include knowledge and attitudes towards CBTp, illness perceptions, empowerment, psychological wellbeing (patients only) and CBTp implementation (clinicians only). Use of the intervention and CBT behaviours during the follow-up period will be recorded and captured in a feedback questionnaire. Use, acceptability and experience of outcome assessment will be explored in qualitative interviews with participants (n = 6 per group). The efficacy evaluation will report descriptive data, key model parameters and 95% highest probability density intervals in a Bayesian growth model.

DISCUSSION

This is the first feasibility trial of a digital 'informed choice' decision aid for the implementation of CBTp. If the trial proves feasible and demonstrates preliminary evidence of efficacy, a large multi-site trial will be warranted.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN53107879 . Registered prospectively on 2 August 2017.

Culturally adapted Family Intervention (CaFI): case examples from therapists’ perspectives

This paper describes three case examples from a recent trial of family intervention specifically designed for people of African-Caribbean descent. These examples, told from the therapists’ perspectives, highlight key components of the intervention and issues that arose in working with this client group. Findings from the study suggest that it is possible to engage this client-group in family therapy similar to traditional evidenced-based family interventions, although as illustrated in the paper, it is important that therapists pay attention to themes that are likely to be particularly pertinent for this group, including experiences of discrimination and mistrust of services. The use of Family Support Members, consisting of members of the person's care team or volunteers recruited from the community, may also help support people to engage in therapy in the absence of biological relatives.

The Importance of Structure and Connection for People Living With Schizophrenia: A 33-Year Outpatient Group Experience

This paper evaluates an outpatient group for persons living with schizophrenia. Qualitative changes and psychiatric admissions among group members were reviewed to measure recovery. Thirty-two members have attended sessions for up to 28 years. Meaningful interactions (e.g., supportive comments) have increased and hospitalizations have decreased. The support of the therapists and the other group members has allowed for personal recovery and developing and maintaining social connections. Prior to starting the group, 67% of members had > 1 hospitalization and 26% had none. During the group, 63% of members had no hospitalizations. Vignettes of change, peer support, fewer hospital admissions, and signs of recovery in the face of crises suggest that members benefit greatly from this outpatient group.

Are healthcare professionals delivering opportunistic behaviour change interventions? A multi-professional survey of engagement with public health policy

BACKGROUND

"Making Every Contact Count" (MECC), a public health policy in the UK, compels healthcare professionals to deliver opportunistic health behaviour change interventions to patients during routine medical consultations. Professionals' awareness of, and engagement with, the policy is unclear. This study examined (1) awareness of the MECC policy, and (2) the prevalence of MECC-related practice in relation to (a) perceived patient benefit, (b) how often healthcare professionals deliver interventions during routine consultations, and (c) the time spent on this activity.

METHODS

Cross-sectional national survey was administered in 2017 of 1387 healthcare professionals working in the UK's National Health Service (NHS). Descriptive statistics were used to assess awareness and practice consistent with the MECC policy. Chi-square was used to gauge the potential representativeness of our sample compared to NHS employment data.

RESULTS

31.4% of healthcare professionals reported having heard of the policy; nevertheless, healthcare professionals perceived a need to provide patients with opportunistic behaviour change interventions in 55.9% (32,946/58,906) of consultations. However, healthcare professionals did not deliver interventions on 50.0% of occasions in which they perceived a need. Where behaviour change interventions were delivered to patients, this constituted 35.3% of the appointment time.

CONCLUSIONS

Policy makers must address the gap between the proportion of patients that healthcare professionals perceive would benefit from opportunistic behaviour change interventions and those receiving them (an estimated 50.0%; 16,473 additional patients could have benefited). Future research should consider how healthcare professionals identify patients who might benefit from opportunistic behaviour change interventions and developing training for efficient delivery of interventions.

Culturally adapted Family Intervention (CaFI) for African-Caribbean people diagnosed with schizophrenia and their families: a mixed-methods feasibility study of development, implementation and acceptability

Background

African-Caribbean people in the UK experience the highest incidence of schizophrenia and the greatest inequity in mental health care. There is an urgent need to improve their access to evidence-based care and outcomes. Family intervention (FI) is a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-approved psychosocial intervention. Although clinically effective and cost-effective for schizophrenia, it is rarely offered. Evidence for any research into FI is lacking for ethnic minority people generally and for African-Caribbean people specifically.

Aims

(1) To assess the feasibility of delivering a novel, culturally appropriate psychosocial intervention within a ‘high-risk’ population to improve engagement and access to evidence-based care. (2) To test the feasibility and acceptability of delivering FI via ‘proxy families’.

Design

A mixed-methods, feasibility cohort study, incorporating focus groups and an expert consensus conference.

Setting

Two mental health trusts in north-west England.

Participants

We recruited a convenience sample of 31 African-Caribbean service users. Twenty-six family units [service users, relatives/family support members (FSMs) or both] commenced therapy. Half of the service users (n = 13, 50%), who did not have access to their biological families, participated by working with FSMs.

Interventions

An extant FI model was culturally adapted with key stakeholders using a literature-derived framework [Culturally adapted Family Intervention (CaFI)]. Ten CaFI sessions were offered to each service user and associated family.

Main outcome measures

Recruitment (number approached vs. number consented), attendance (number of sessions attended), attrition (number of dropouts at each time point), retention (proportion of participants who completed therapy sessions), and completeness of outcome measurement.

Results

Of 74 eligible service users, 31 (42%) consented to take part in the feasibility trial. The majority (n = 21, 67.7%) were recruited from community settings, seven (22.6%) were recruited from rehabilitation settings and three (9.7%) were recruited from acute wards. Twenty-four family units (92%) completed all 10 therapy sessions. The proportion who completed treatment was 77.42% (24/31). The mean number of sessions attended was 7.90 (standard deviation 3.96 sessions) out of 10. It proved feasible to collect a range of outcome data at baseline, post intervention and at the 3-month follow-up. The rating of sessions and the qualitative findings indicated that CaFI was acceptable to service users, families, FSMs and health-care professionals.

Limitations

The lack of a control group and the limited sample size mean that there is insufficient power to assess efficacy. The findings are not generalisable beyond this population.

Conclusions

It proved feasible to culturally adapt and test FI with a sample of African-Caribbean service users and their families. Our study yielded high rates of recruitment, attendance, retention and data completion. We delivered CaFI via FSMs in the absence of biological families. This novel aspect of the study has implications for other groups who do not have access to their biological families. We also demonstrated the feasibility of collecting a range of outcomes to inform future trials and confirmed CaFI’s acceptability to key stakeholders. These are important findings. If CaFI can be delivered to the group of service users with the most serious and persistent disparities in schizophrenia care, it has the potential to be modified for and delivered to other underserved groups.

Future work

A fully powered, multicentre trial, comparing CaFI with usual care, is planned.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN94393315.

Funding

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research programme and will be published in full inHealth Services and Delivery Research; Vol. 6, No. 32. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Method of levels therapy for first-episode psychosis: rationale, design and baseline data for the feasibility randomised controlled Next Level study

BACKGROUND

Method of levels (MOL) is an innovative transdiagnostic cognitive therapy with potential advantages over existing psychological treatments for psychosis.

AIMS

The Next Level study is a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) of MOL for people experiencing first-episode psychosis. It aims to determine the suitability of MOL for further testing in a definitive trial (trial registration ISRCTN13359355).

METHOD

The study uses a parallel group non-masked feasibilityRCT design with two conditions: (a) treatment as usual (TAU) and (b) TAU plus MOL. Participants (n = 36) were recruited from early intervention in psychosis services. Outcome measures are completed at baseline, 10 and 14 months. The primary outcomes are recruitment and retention.

RESULTS

Participants' demographic and clinical characteristics are presented along with baseline data.

CONCLUSIONS

Next Level has recruited to target, providing evidence that it is feasible to recruit to a RCT of MOL for first-episode psychosis.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

None.

Causal beliefs in people experiencing psychosis: The relationship to treatment accessed and the perceived helpfulness of treatment

PURPOSE

Research suggests that the way an individual understands a health difficulty can influence their subsequent behaviour. The aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of a new causal belief questionnaire for people who have experience of psychosis. We also planned to provide an overview of current causal beliefs within this group and to explore the relationship between these beliefs and the perceived helpfulness of treatment and the treatment accessed.

METHODS

Three hundred and eleven service-users with experience of psychosis completed a questionnaire designed to explore how they understand the cause of their difficulties. Additional information was collected about different aspects of treatment.

RESULTS

The results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated a two-factor solution comprising a psychosocial and biogenetic scale. Individuals in this study endorsed a variety of different causes, with an overall preference for psychosocial explanations. No relationships were established between beliefs and perceptions about the helpfulness of treatment. Individuals who had accessed cognitive behavioural therapy were more likely to endorse the psychosocial factor.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with psychosis consider a number of factors to be important in relation to the development of their experiences. These beliefs should be explored as part of the therapeutic process as this appears to be important to the individual and could potentially help inform treatment decisions.

PRACTITIONER POINTS

The causal belief questionnaire captured two underlying constructs relating to psychosocial and biogenetic causes. Individuals within this group endorsed a range of factors; however, they prefer psychosocial causes overall. There was an indication that some aspects of an individual's beliefs were associated with the treatment they accessed.

Identifying the "Therapy Targets" for Treating the Negative Symptoms of Psychosis Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The division of psychotic symptoms into positive and negative categories has largely divided the research on them. While the research on positive symptoms of psychosis has rapidly developed over the last three decades, the literature on negative symptoms has noticeably lagged behind. Negative symptoms have likely been ignored in the treatment literature because they were previously thought to remit following the treatment of positive symptoms. Recent evidence does not consistently support this theory and indicates that the different manifestations of negative symptoms require distinct approaches to treatment. The current review provides a re-evaluation of the theoretical literature on negative symptoms to inform and identify "treatment targets" to reduce them. The "treatment targets" are then translated into intervention strategies using a cognitive behavioral framework. A review of the empirical literature on cognitive behavior therapy for treating negative symptoms is then offered along with a critical discussion of where cognitive behavior therapy stands compared to other interventions and what research is still needed.

Are we there yet?

Burbach describes the content of a phased approach to delivering family work in psychosis. Clinicians would find it helpful to have guidance on how to address the challenges they face in clinical practice, such as engaging all family members in the process and how to deal with confidentiality conflicts. Implementation challenges are also likely to affect their ability to deliver this intervention. It may also be useful to consider the role that family members can play in co-production and training, and in delivering support to other families through a carer peer support model.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

None.

Improving implementation of evidence based practice for people with psychosis through training the wider workforce: Results of the GOALS feasibility randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

There is a pressing need to improve access to evidence-based practice for people with psychosis. The primary aim of this study was to assess clinical feasibility of a manualised, evidence-based CBT intervention (GOALS) targeting a personalised recovery goal, delivered by the frontline workforce, following brief training. Secondly, we aimed to conduct preliminary statistical analyses of key outcomes and costs.

METHODS

The GOALS study is a feasibility randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN 73188383). 75 participants with current psychosis were recruited and randomly allocated to receive either treatment as usual alone or with GOALS therapy.

RESULTS

Brief training enabled frontline staff to deliver the therapy according to protocol and 74% of therapy participants partially or fully achieved their goals. There were significant improvements with a moderate effect size of 0.56 on goal attainment. However, preliminary statistical analyses found no significant differences between groups on our primary outcome of activity levels or other secondary outcomes Health economic analysis found that point estimates of costs, controlling for baseline costs, implied savings (even including intervention costs), but the difference was not statistically significant.

LIMITATIONS

The study was designed as a feasibility RCT, and therefore the results of secondary estimates of efficacy effects should be treated with caution.

CONCLUSIONS

This approach holds promise in supporting people with psychosis to reach personal recovery goals, cost effectively.

How are evidence and knowledge used in orthopaedic decision-making? Three comparative case studies of different approaches to implementation of clinical guidance in practice

Background

The uptake and use of clinical guidelines is often insufficient to change clinical behaviour and reduce variation in practice. As a consequence of diverse organisational contexts, the simple provision of guidelines cannot ensure fidelity or guarantee their use when making decisions. Implementation research in surgery has focused on understanding what evidence exists for clinical practice decisions but limits understanding to the technical, educational and accessibility issues. This research aims to identify where, when and how evidence and knowledge are used in orthopaedic decision-making and how variation in these factors contributes to different approaches to implementation of clinical guidance in practice.

Methods

We used in-depth case studies to examine guideline implementation in real-life surgical practice. We conducted comparative case studies in three English National Health Service hospitals over a 12-month period. Each in-depth case study consisted of a mix of qualitative methods including interviews, observations and document analysis. Data included field notes from observations of day-to-day practice, 64 interviews with NHS surgeons and staff and the collection of 121 supplementary documents.

Results

Case studies identified 17 sources of knowledge and evidence which influenced clinical decisions in elective orthopaedic surgery. A comparative analysis across cases revealed that each hospital had distinct approaches to decision-making. Decision-making is described as occurring as a result of how 17 types of knowledge and evidence were privileged and of how they interacted and changed in context. Guideline implementation was contingent and mediated through four distinct contextual levels. Implementation could be assessed for individual surgeons, groups of surgeons or the organisation as a whole, but it could also differ between these levels. Differences in how evidence and knowledge were used contributed to variations in practice from guidelines.

Conclusion

A range of complex and competing sources of evidence and knowledge exists which influence the working practices of healthcare professionals. The dynamic selection, combination and use of each type of knowledge and evidence influence the implementation and use of clinical guidance in practice. Clinical guidelines are a fundamental part of practice, but represent only one type of evidence influencing clinical decisions. In the orthopaedic speciality, other distinct sources of evidence and knowledge are selected and used which impact on how guidelines are implemented. New approaches to guideline implementation need to appreciate and incorporate this diverse range of knowledge and evidence which influences clinical decisions and to take account of the changing contexts in which decisions are made.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13012-018-0771-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Delivery of cognitive-behaviour therapy for psychosis: a service user preference trial

BACKGROUND

Clinical guidelines recommend cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for people with psychosis, however, implementation is poor and not everyone wishes to engage with therapy. Understanding service user (SU) preferences for receiving such treatments is a priority for services.

AIMS

To explore SU preferences and outcomes of different methods of delivering CBT for psychosis.

METHOD

SUs experiencing psychosis could choose between treatment as usual (TAU); TAU plus telephone-delivered CBT with self-help, CBT recovery manual (TS); high support CBT (HS - TAU plus TS plus group sessions) or randomisation. Participants received their option of choice and were followed-up on several outcomes over 9 and 15 months.

RESULTS

Of 89 people recruited, three chose to be randomised and 86 expressed a treatment preference (32 chose TAU, 34 chose TS, 23 chose HS). There were few differences between those who chose therapy compared to those who chose TAU. Those who had more positive impacts from their symptoms were significantly more likely to choose TAU.

CONCLUSIONS

Most people had strong preferences about treatment delivery and a substantial number did not wish to receive additional therapy. These findings have to be considered when planning and allocating resources for people with psychosis.

The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Interventions on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review

Depression and anxiety are prominent comorbid disorders in psychosis and relevant to psychotic symptom formation and maintenance. This poses the question of whether psychological interventions are effective in improving symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with psychosis. A systematic review of the literature identified 14 studies evaluating a broad range of interventions targeting depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder in patients with psychosis. The reviewed studies support the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions in improving the target symptoms. Further research is needed to examine whether the effects carry over to psychotic symptoms in the long term.

Routine quality care assessment of schizophrenic disorders using information systems

Objective

To assess the quality of mental healthcare provided to patients with schizophrenic disorders in the Italian region of Lombardy.

Design

Forty-one clinical indicators were applied to Lombardy's healthcare databases containing data on mental health treatments, hospital admissions, somatic health treatments and pharmaceutical prescriptions.

Setting

All public departments of mental health and private residential facilities in Lombardy.

Participants

All 28 227 patients with schizophrenic disorders that were under the care of Lombardy mental health services in 2009.

Interventions

N/A.

Main outcome measures

N/A.

Results

The care that was delivered to patients and family members was more frequent for first-episode cases than for prevalent ones. Seven out of ten patients made use of continuing care and, after hospitalization, more than half of the discharged patients received a follow-up visit by community mental health centre staff within 2 weeks of their discharge. Psychotherapeutic and psychoeducative treatments, such as employment and independent living support, were not widespread among these discharged patients. Antipsychotic drug dosage was usually within the recommended range. The adherence of first-episode patients to antipsychotic treatment was lower than that of prevalent patients, and the monitoring of metabolic side effects was not always consistent. Inappropriateness of hospital care, in terms of longer admission, readmission, compulsory admission and restraint, was limited. Mortality during the period was significant.

Conclusions

Clinical indicators demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of the mental health system in Lombardy and they can be useful tools in the routine assessment of mental healthcare quality.

Mental health clinicians' beliefs about the causes of psychosis: Differences between professions and relationship to treatment preferences

BACKGROUND

Previous evidence suggests that how an individual conceptualises the cause of a health problem can impact on subsequent perceptions and behaviour.

AIMS

This study explored the beliefs about the causes of psychosis in a group of mental health professionals. The study also sought to examine the relationship between causal beliefs and the perceived helpfulness of different treatments.

METHODS

A total of 219 clinicians completed a questionnaire about the provision of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and antipsychotic medication for their clients who were experiencing psychosis and their opinions about the helpfulness of these treatments. Causal beliefs were also assessed.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Clients were twice as likely to be offered medication compared to CBT. Clinicians held a multifactorial model of aetiology, but were more likely to endorse psychosocial causes than biological factors. Clinicians with psychosocial beliefs were more likely to rate CBT as effective, whereas those with biological models were more likely to endorse the helpfulness of medication. Clinicians adopt a multi-causal approach when conceptualising the aetiology of psychosis and these beliefs were related to opinions about the helpfulness of treatment. Beliefs about the aetiology of their client's experiences could blind clinicians to the benefits of offering different approaches.

Understanding clinician attitudes towards implementation of guided self-help cognitive behaviour therapy for those who hear distressing voices: using factor analysis to test normalisation process theory

BACKGROUND

The Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) has been used to understand the implementation of physical health care interventions. The current study aims to apply the NPT model to a secondary mental health context, and test the model using exploratory factor analysis. This study will consider the implementation of a brief cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis (CBTp) intervention.

METHODS

Mental health clinicians were asked to complete a NPT-based questionnaire on the implementation of a brief CBTp intervention. All clinicians had experience of either working with the target client group or were able to deliver psychological therapies. In total, 201 clinicians completed the questionnaire.

RESULTS

The results of the exploratory factor analysis found partial support for the NPT model, as three of the NPT factors were extracted: (1) coherence, (2) cognitive participation, and (3) reflexive monitoring. We did not find support for the fourth NPT factor (collective action). All scales showed strong internal consistency. Secondary analysis of these factors showed clinicians to generally support the implementation of the brief CBTp intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides strong evidence for the validity of the three NPT factors extracted. Further research is needed to determine whether participants' level of seniority moderates factor extraction, whether this factor structure can be generalised to other healthcare settings, and whether pre-implementation attitudes predict actual implementation outcomes.

Barriers to disseminating brief CBT for voices from a lived experience and clinician perspective

Access to psychological therapies continues to be poor for people experiencing psychosis. To address this problem, researchers are developing brief interventions that address the specific symptoms associated with psychosis, i.e., hearing voices. As part of the development work for a brief Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) intervention for voices we collected qualitative data from people who hear voices (study 1) and clinicians (study 2) on the potential barriers and facilitators to implementation and engagement. Thematic analysis of the responses from both groups revealed a number of anticipated barriers to implementation and engagement. Both groups believed the presenting problem (voices and psychosis symptoms) may impede engagement. Furthermore clinicians identified a lack of resources to be a barrier to implementation. The only facilitator to engagement was reported by people who hear voices who believed a compassionate, experienced and trustworthy therapist would promote engagement. The results are discussed in relation to how these barriers could be addressed in the context of a brief intervention using CBT techniques.

Adherence to NICE guidance on lifestyle advice for people with schizophrenia: a survey

Aims and method The STEPWISE trial (STructured lifestyle Education for People WIth SchizophrEnia, schizoaffective disorder and first episode psychosis) is currently evaluating a lifestyle education programme in addition to usual care. However, it is difficult to define what constitutes 'usual care'. We aimed to define 'usual care' for lifestyle management in people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and first-episode psychosis in STEPWISE study sites. Ten National Health Service (NHS) mental health trusts participated in a bespoke survey based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. Results Eight trusts reported offering lifestyle education programmes and nine offered smoking cessation support. Reported recording of biomedical measures varied. Clinical implications Although recommended by NICE, lifestyle education programmes are not consistently offered across UK NHS mental health trusts. This highlights missed opportunities to improve the physical health of people with psychotic illness. Our survey benchmarks 'usual care' for the STEPWISE study, against which changes can be measured. Furthermore, future studies will be able to identify whether any progress in clinical practice has been made towards achieving the NICE recommendations.

The customer is always right? Subjective target symptoms and treatment preferences in patients with psychosis

Clinicians and patients differ concerning the goals of treatment. Eighty individuals with schizophrenia were assessed online about which symptoms they consider the most important for treatment, as well as their experience with different interventions. Treatment of affective and neuropsychological problems was judged as more important than treatment of positive symptoms (p < 0.005). While most individuals had experience with Occupational and Sports Therapy, only a minority had received Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Family Therapy, and Psychoeducation with family members before. Patients appraised Talk, Psychoanalytic, and Art Therapy as well as Metacognitive Training as the most helpful treatments. Clinicians should carefully take into consideration patients' preferences, as neglect of consumers' views may compromise outcome and adherence to treatment.

Psychological Interventions for Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms in Psychosis: A Systematic Review of Outcomes

Individuals with severe mental health problems, such as psychosis, are consistently shown to have experienced high levels of past traumatic events. They are also at an increased risk of further traumatisation through victimization events such as crime and assault. The experience of psychosis itself and psychiatric hospitalization have also been recognized to be sufficiently traumatic to lead to the development of post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are elevated in people with psychosis compared to the general population. The current guidance for the treatment of PTSD is informed by an evidence base predominately limited to populations without co-morbid psychiatric disorders. The systematic review therefore sought to present the current available literature on the use of psychological treatments targeting PTS symptoms in a population with a primary diagnosis of a psychotic disorder. The review aimed to investigate the effect of these interventions on PTS symptoms and also the effect on secondary domains such as psychotic symptoms, affect and functioning. Fifteen studies were identified reporting on cognitive behavior therapy, prolonged exposure, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing and written emotional disclosure. The review provides preliminary support for the safe use of trauma-focused psychological interventions in groups of people with severe mental health problems. Overall, the interventions were found to be effective in reducing PTS symptoms. Results were mixed with regard to secondary effects on additional domains. Further research including studies employing sufficiently powered methodologically rigorous designs is indicated.

The Rehabilitation Effectiveness for Activities for Life (REAL) study: a national programme of research into NHS inpatient mental health rehabilitation services across England

Background

The REAL (Rehabilitation Effectiveness for Activities for Life) research programme, funded by the National Institute for Heath Research (NIHR) from 2009 to 2015, investigated NHS mental health rehabiliation services across England. The users of these services are people with longer-term, complex mental health problems, such as schizophrenia, who have additional problems that complicate recovery. Although only around 10% of people with severe mental illness require inpatient rehabilitation, because of the severity and complexity of their problems they cost 25–50% of the total mental health budget. Despite this, there has been little research to help clinicians and commissioners to plan and deliver effective treatments and services. This research aimed to address this gap.

Methods

The programme had four phases. (1) A national survey, using quantitative and qualitative methods, was used to provide a detailed understanding of the scope and quality of NHS mental health rehabilitation services in England and the characteristics of those who use them. (2) We developed a training intervention for staff of NHS inpatient mental health rehabilitation units to facilitate service users’ activities. (3) The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the staff training programme was evaluated through a cluster randomised controlled trial involving 40 units that scored below average on our quality assessment tool in the national survey. A qualitative process evaluation and a realistic evaluation were carried out to inform our findings further. (4) A naturalistic cohort study was carried out involving 349 service users of 50 units that scored above average on our quality assessment tool in the national survey, who were followed up over 12 months. Factors associated with better clinical outcomes were investigated through exploratory analyses.

Results

Most NHS trusts provided inpatient mental health rehabilitation services. The quality of care provided was higher than that in similar facilities across Europe and was positively associated with service users’ autonomy. Our cluster trial did not find our staff training intervention to be clinically effective [coefficient 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) –1.35 to 4.24]; staff appeared to revert to previous practices once the training team left the unit. Our realistic review suggested that greater supervision and senior staff support could help to address this. Over half of the service users in our cohort study were successfully discharged from hospital over 12 months. Factors associated with this were service users’ activity levels [odds ratio (OR) 1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05] and social skills (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.24), and the ‘recovery’ orientation of the unit (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.08), which includes collaborative care planning with service users and holding hope for their progress. Quality of care was not associated with costs of care. A relatively small investment (£67 per service user per month) was required to achieve the improvement in everyday functioning that we found in our cohort study.

Conclusions

People who require inpatient mental health rehabilitation are a ‘low-volume, high-needs’ group. Despite this, these services are able to successfully discharge most to the community within 18 months. Our results suggest that this may be facilitated by recovery-orientated practice that promotes service users’ activities and social skills. Further research is needed to identify effective interventions that enhance such practice to deliver these outcomes. Our research provides evidence that NHS inpatient mental health rehabilitation services deliver high-quality care that successfully supports service users with complex needs in their recovery.

Main limitation

Our programme included only NHS, non-secure, inpatient mental health rehabilitation services.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN25898179.

Funding

The NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research programme.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Compared with Non-specialized Therapy for Alleviating the Effect of Auditory Hallucinations in People with Reoccurring Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is recommended as a psychological intervention for those diagnosed with schizophrenia. The prevalence of auditory hallucinations is high among this group, many of whom are cared for by community mental health teams that may not have easy access to qualified CBT practitioners. This systematic review examined the evidence for the superiority of CBT compared to non-specialized therapy in alleviating auditory hallucinations in community patients with schizophrenia. Two RCTs met the inclusion criteria totaling 105 participants. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)-Positive Scale was the outcome measure examined. A meta-analysis revealed a pooled mean difference of -0.86 [95 % CI -2.38, 0.65] in favor of CBT, although this did not reach statistical significance. This systematic review concluded there is no clinically significant difference in the reduction of positive symptoms of schizophrenia when treated by CBT compared to a non-specialized therapy for adults experiencing auditory hallucinations.