Effective family interventions for people with schizophrenia

It is encouraging to read a research paper with findings ready for immediate translation to clinical practice. In The Lancet Psychiatry, Alessandro Rodolico, Irene Bighelli and colleagues 1 Rodolico A Bighelli I Avanzato C et al. Family interventions for relapse prevention in schizophrenia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2022; (published online Jan 27.)https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00437-5 Google Scholar report the findings of a thorough systematic review and network meta-analysis of family interventions for relapse prevention in schizophrenia. The authors evaluated 90 randomised controlled trials, with more than 10 000 participants, and identified 11 different models of family therapy. Sometimes simple is best. Family psychoeducation alone reduced the relapse rate significantly when compared with treatment as usual, and to a larger extent than more complex interventions. The findings showed that informing the family about the illness, symptoms, and treatment options had a protective role in the prevention of relapse: about 10% of patients involved in family psychoeducation relapsed compared with 37% among patients who received treatment as usual. Family interventions for relapse prevention in schizophrenia: a systematic review and network meta-analysisAlmost all family intervention models were efficacious in preventing relapse in schizophrenia. Family psychoeducation alone, without behavioural or skills training, was superior to the more complex models. Our results suggest that in contexts where there are financial constraints, family psychoeducation alone should be implemented. Full-Text PDF