Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nr4z6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-19T07:11:10.127Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Pilot Psychosocial Intervention Group for Older People with Schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2013

Katherine Berry*
Affiliation:
University of Manchester and Manchester Health and Social Care Trust, UK
Nitin Purandare
Affiliation:
University of Manchester and Manchester Health and Social Care Trust, UK
Richard Drake
Affiliation:
University of Manchester and Manchester Health and Social Care Trust, UK
Richard Elmsley
Affiliation:
University of Manchester and Manchester Health and Social Care Trust, UK
Lisa Jones
Affiliation:
University of Manchester and Manchester Health and Social Care Trust, UK
Christine Barrowclough
Affiliation:
University of Manchester and Manchester Health and Social Care Trust, UK
*
Reprint requests to Katherine Berry, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, 2nd Floor Zocohnis Building, Brunswick Street, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. E-mail: katherine.berry@manchester.ac.uk

Abstract

Background: There is a strong evidence base for psychological treatments in younger adults with schizophrenia, but limited work has been done on adapting these interventions for older people. Aims: We describe a study of a pilot psychosocial intervention group specifically designed to meet the needs of older people with schizophrenia in NHS settings. Method: We used a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the group. We assessed feasibility and acceptability by monitoring uptake and retention in the study. We used a within groups design comparing participants on a range of potentially relevant outcomes at baseline and posttreatment. Treatment acceptability was also assessed by semi-structured interviews conducted at the end of treatment. Results: We recruited 11 participants to the study and 7 of these completed the majority of the group sessions. At a group level participants made improvements in self-esteem and negative symptoms that were statistically significant even in this small sample. Feedback interviews suggested that participants valued the social contact provided by the group and made actual changes in their day-to-day lives as a result of attending. Conclusion: The intervention could offer help with some of the secondary disability associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia and is acceptable to older adults. Further evaluation is, however, warranted.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Addington, D., Addington, J. and Schissel, B. (1990). A depression rating for schizophrenics. Schizophrenia Research, 3, 247251.Google Scholar
Barrowclough, C., Haddock, G., Lobban, F., Jones, S. H., Siddle, R., Roberts, C., et al. (2006). Group cognitive behaviour therapy for schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 189, 527532.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D. and Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism: The Hopelessness Scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 861865.Google Scholar
Berry, K. and Barrowclough, C. (2009). The needs of older adults with schizophrenia: implications for psychological interventions. Clinical Psychology Review, 29, 6876.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berry, K., Barrowclough, C., Byrne, J. and Purandare, N. (2006). Coping processes in older people with schizophrenia: an investigation of appraisals, coping and social support in patients and non clinical controls. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 41, 280284.Google Scholar
Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77101.Google Scholar
Cohen, C. I., Cohen, G. D., Blank, K., Gaitz, C., Katz, I. R., Leuchter, A., et al. (2000). Schizophrenia and older adults - an overview: directions for research and policy. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 8, 1928.Google Scholar
Department of Health (2005). Securing Better Health for Older People. London: DoH.Google Scholar
Department of Health (2009). Improving Access to Psychological Therapies - Older People: positive practice guide. London: DoH.Google Scholar
Department of Health (2011). Talking Therapies: a four-year plan of action. London: DoH.Google Scholar
Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E. and McHugh, P. R. (1975). Mini-mental state: a practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189198.Google Scholar
Granholm, E., McQuaid, J. R., McClure, F. S., Auslander, L. A., Perivoliotis, D., Pedrelli, P., et al. (2005). A randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioural social skills training for middle-aged and older outpatients with chronic schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 520529.Google Scholar
Granholm, E., McQuaid, J. R., McClure, F. S., Link, P. C., Perivoliotis, D., Gottlieb, J. D., et al. (2007). Randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioural social skills training for older people with schizophrenia: 12-month follow-up. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 68, 730737.Google Scholar
Healthcare Commission (2009). Equality in Later Life: a national study of older people's mental health sevices. London: Healthcare Commission.Google Scholar
Johns, L. C., Sellwood, W., McGovern, J. and Haddock, G. (2002). Battling boredom: group cognitive behaviour therapy for negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 30, 341346.Google Scholar
Kay, S. R., Fiszbein, A. and Opler, L. A. (1987). The positive and negative syndrome scale for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 13, 261276.Google Scholar
Medical Research Council (2000). A Framework for Development and Evaluation of RCTs for Complex Interventions to Improve Health. Retrieved from http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Utilities/Documentrecord/index.htm?d=MRC003372.Google Scholar
Mueser, K. T., Pratt, S. I., Bartels, S. J., Swain, K., Forester, B., Cather, C., et al. (2010). Randomized trial of social rehabilitation and intergrated health care for older people with severe mental illness. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78, 561573.Google Scholar
Patterson, T. L., Mausbach, B. T., McKibbin, C., Goldman, S., Bucardo, J. and Jeste, D. V. (2006). Functional Adaptation Skills Training (FAST): a randomized trial of a psychosocial intervention for middle-aged and older patients with chronic psychotic disorders. Schizophrenia Research, 86, 291299.Google Scholar
Provencher, H. L. and Mueser, K. T. (1997). Positive and negative symptom behaviours and caregiver burden in the relatives of persons with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 26, 7180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rosenberg, M. (1989). Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.Google Scholar
Wallace, C. J., Liberman, R. P., Tauber, R. and Wallace, J. (2000). The independent living skills survey: a comprehensive measure of the community functioning of severely and persistently mentally ill individuals. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 26, 631658.Google Scholar
Woods, B. (2003). What's so different about older people? Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 10, 129132.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1992). The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Wykes, T., Hayward, P., Thomas, N., Green, N., Surguladze, S., Fannon, D., et al. (2005). What are the effects of group cognitive behaviour therapy for voices? A randomized control trial. Schizophrenia Research, 77, 201210.Google Scholar
Wykes, T., Steel, C., Everitt, B. and Tarrier, N. (2008). Cognitive behaviour therapy for schizophrenia: effect sizes, clinical models, and methodological rigor. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 34, 523537.Google Scholar
Wykes, T. and Sturt, E. (1986). The measurement of social behaviour in psychiatric patients: an assessment of the reliability and validity of the SBS Schedule. British Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 111.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.