title: Schizophrenia: a five-year follow-up of patient outcome following psycho-education for caregivers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is evidence that psycho-education courses for caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia improve the short-term outcome of the condition. However, most of the outcome studies are limited to two-year follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a five-year retrospective case-control follow-up of an original cohort of 63 patients and their 101 caregivers who completed a six-week Caregiver Psycho-education Programme (CPP) for schizophrenia and psychosis between 2002 and 2005, and 60 controls, matched for age, gender and severity of their psychotic illness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients whose caregivers learned more from the six-week psycho-education course had a significantly longer time to relapse (P = 0.04) and a significantly shorter length of stay during their first relapse (P < 0.05). Patients whose caregivers attended the six-week psycho-education course (regardless of how much the caregivers learned) had a significantly better outcome than controls. This included a significantly smaller number of relapses (P < 0.01), longer time to relapse (P < 0.01), shorter length of stay during their first relapse (P < 0.01) and smaller number of bed days over five years (P < 0.01). The odds ratio of controls relapsing, although insignificant at one year, was 4.13 (1.85-9.21) at five years. Outcome was not affected by either the numbers of caregivers attending for each patient, or caregiver gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study, which is among the first to examine outcome over five years, supports the efficacy of psycho-education for caregivers in improving outcome for patients. Caregivers should be encouraged to take up psycho-education where it is available.
authors: DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park, Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland. stephen.mcwilliams@sjog.ie
authors: S
authors: S
authors: McWilliams
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Hill
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Mannion
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Fetherston
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kinsella
authors: E
authors: E
authors: O'Callaghan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult