title: Activity groups for people with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  UK guidelines recommend that patients with schizophrenia are offered access to social activities, however, the impact of such interventions have not been examined in a large randomized trial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of an activity group intervention on mental health and global functioning 12 months after randomization compared to standard care alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analysis of data from the MATISSE study. Primary outcomes were global functioning, assessed using the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and mental health symptoms measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 140 participants were randomized to activity groups and 137 to standard care alone. Follow-up data were collected from 242 (87%) participants. Mental health improved significantly among those offered activity groups (change in PANSS score = -6.0, 95% CI -2.3 to -9.8) but global functioning did not (change in GAF score = 0.8, 95% CI -1.7 to 3.3). No significant differences were found between treatment arms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Offering activity groups to patients with schizophrenia was not associated with any additional clinical benefits. There was poor uptake and attendance at activity groups. Interventions that aim to improve negative symptoms may be useful in enabling engagement in psychosocial interventions.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London , London, UK .
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: Adam R W
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Weston
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Osborn
authors.forename: Suzie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Killaspy
authors.forename: Baptiste
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leurent
authors.forename: Mike J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Crawford
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001155:Art Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Activity group; randomized controlled trial; schizophrenia