Psychosocial relevance and benefit of neuroleptic maintenance: experience in the United Kingdom.
The benefits of psychosocial intervention were studied in patients on maintenance neuroleptics who live in high face-to-face contact with relatives who have high levels of expressed emotion. This group is at high risk of relapse when maintained on neuroleptics without social intervention. Relatives of patients in the experimental group received three types of intervention: an educational program, a relatives' group, and family therapy. The goal of intervention was to reduce face-to-face contact and/or relatives' levels of expressed emotion. The results at 9-month and 2-year follow up indicate the benefits of psychosocial intervention, while pointing out the danger in discontinuing maintenance neuroleptics for patients who live in stressful family environments.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005190:Family; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D005475:Flupenthixol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005476:Fluphenazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012008:Recurrence; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D006113:United Kingdom
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005475:Flupenthixol; C011825:fluphenazine depot; D005476:Fluphenazine