title: The effect of a brief educational programme added to mental health treatment to improve patient activation: A randomized controlled trial in community mental health centres.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While there is growing interest in improving patient activation in general medical health services, there are too few randomized controlled trials in mental health settings which show how improvement can be achieved. Using the Patient Activation Measure-13 (PAM-13), we aimed to assess the effect of pre-treatment, peer co-led educational intervention on patient activation. Secondary outcomes included measures of patient satisfaction, well-being, mental health symptoms, motivation, and treatment participation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients from two community mental health centres were randomized to a control group (CG, n=26) receiving treatment as usual, or an intervention group (IG, n=26) consisting of a four-hour group educational seminar (aiming to encourage patients to adopt an active role in their treatment) followed by treatment as usual.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only the IG improved on PAM-13, at one- and four-month follow-ups. The intervention had significant effects on patient satisfaction and treatment participation, compared to CG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Providing pre-treatment, peer co-led education improves patient activation in community mental health care settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of peers as co-educators may contribute to a different mental health care delivery, ensuring patient activation and participation in treatment. Further studies should examine peers' needs for supervision, challenges for the services, long-term and cost-benefit effects. CLINICALTRIALS.
  NCT01601587.
authors.affiliation: Tiller Community Mental Health Centre, Division of Psychiatry, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: mariela.lara@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Mariela L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lara-Cabrera
authors.affiliation: Unit for Applied Clinical Research, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Øyvind
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Salvesen
authors.affiliation: Center for Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Merete Berg
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Nesset
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Dermatology and Psychiatry, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De las Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Østmarka Department, Division of Psychiatry, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Valentina Cabral
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Clinic of Substance Use and Addiction Medicine, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Rolf W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Gråwe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009664:Norway; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010379:Peer Group; D011613:Psychotherapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Mental disorders; Mental health services; Patient activation measure; Patient education; Peer-led education; Randomized controlled trial