title: Effectiveness of an intervention to improve day centre services for people with psychiatric disabilities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Day centres for people with psychiatric disabilities need to be evaluated for effectiveness in order to provide the best possible support. This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of a tailor-made intervention to improve day centre services for people with psychiatric disabilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention was devised to bridge identified gaps in the services and lasted for 14 months. Eight centres were allotted to the intervention (55 attendees) or comparison condition (51 attendees). Fidelity to the intervention and major events in the day centres were assessed. The outcomes were degree of meaningfulness found in the day centre occupations, satisfaction with the rehabilitation received, satisfaction with everyday occupations and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fidelity to the intervention was good, but more positive events, such as new occupational opportunities, had taken place in the comparison units. No differences were identified between the intervention and the comparison group regarding changes from baseline to the 14-month follow-up in perceived meaningfulness among day centre occupations, satisfaction with everyday occupations or quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intervention seemed ineffective, but the positive events in the comparison group resembled the measures included in the tailor-made interventions. This first intervention study in the day centre context has hopefully helped to generate hypotheses and methods for future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eklund
authors.forename: A Birgitta
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Gunnarsson
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sandlund
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leufstadius
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: community-based psychiatry; mental illness; randomised controlled trial; rehabilitation