title: Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of body psychotherapy in the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia--a multi-centre randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are frequently associated with poor long term outcomes. Established interventions have little, if any, positive effects on negative symptoms. Arts Therapies such as Body Psychotherapy (BPT) have been suggested to reduce negative symptoms, but the existing evidence is limited. In a small exploratory trial a manualised form of group BPT led to significantly lower negative symptom levels both at the end of treatment and at 4 months follow-up as compared to supportive counseling. We designed a large multi-site trial to assess the effectiveness of a manualised BPT intervention in reducing negative symptoms, compared to an active control.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomised controlled trial, 256 schizophrenic outpatients with negative symptoms will be randomly allocated either to BPT or Pilates groups. In both conditions, patients will be offered two 90 minutes sessions per week in groups of about 8 patients over a period of 10 weeks. Outcomes are assessed at the end of treatment and at six months follow-up. The primary outcome is severity of negative symptoms, as measured by the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), whilst a range of secondary outcome measures include general psychopathology, social contacts, and quality of life. We will also assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a promising form of group therapy which may help alleviate negative symptoms that are associated with unfavourable long-term outcomes and have so far been difficult to treat. If the trial is successful, it will add a new and effective option in the treatment of negative symptoms. Group BPT is manualised, might be attractive to many patients because of its unusual approach, and could potentially be rolled out to services at relatively little additional cost.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN84216587.
authors: Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Queen Mary University of London, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London E13 8SP, UK. s.priebe@qmul.ac.uk
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Priebe
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Savill
authors: Ulrich
authors: U
authors: Reininghaus
authors: Til
authors: T
authors: Wykes
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Bentall
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Lauber
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: McCrone
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Röhricht
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Eldridge
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001155:Art Therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult