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Effects of a mindfulness-based psychoeducation programme for Chinese patients with schizophrenia: 2-year follow-up

  • Wai Tong Chien (a1) and David R. Thompson (a2)

Abstract

Background

Psychoeducation programmes for people with schizophrenia are shown to reduce relapses but few studies have indicated significant improvements in patients' illness awareness and insight, functioning, symptom severity or rates of readmission to hospital.

Aims

To examine the effects of a mindfulness-based psychoeducation programme for Chinese people with schizophrenia.

Method

A multisite randomised controlled trial was conducted with 107 out-patients with schizophrenia: 36 and 35 received a 6-month mindfulness-based psychoeducation and a conventional psychoeducation programme, respectively, and 35 received routine care alone. Patient outcome measures were psychiatric symptom severity, psychosocial functioning, social support, insight into illness/treatment, and frequency and duration of readmissions to hospital (ClinicalTrials.gov: trial registration NCT01667601).

Results

The mindfulness-based psychoeducation group reported significantly greater improvements in psychiatric symptoms, psychosocial functioning, insight into illness/treatment and duration of readmissions to hospital over 24 months when compared with the other two groups.

Conclusions

Mindfulness-based psychoeducation appears to be a promising approach to treatment for Chinese patients with schizophrenia.

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Copyright

COPYRIGHT: © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2014 

Corresponding author

Wai Tong Chien, Mental Health Research Group, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China. Email: wai.tong.chien@polyu.edu.hk

Footnotes

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Declaration of interest

None.

Footnotes

References

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  • Cited by 47

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Effects of a mindfulness-based psychoeducation programme for Chinese patients with schizophrenia: 2-year follow-up

  • Wai Tong Chien (a1) and David R. Thompson (a2)

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  • Cited by 47

  • Access

Effects of a mindfulness-based psychoeducation programme for Chinese patients with schizophrenia: 2-year follow-up

  • Wai Tong Chien (a1) and David R. Thompson (a2)
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eLetters

Mindfulness-based intervention can be effective to psychotic patients

Cecilia Chun, Lecturer, The University of Hong Kong
17 September 2015

The controlled trial tested the effects of a mindfulness-based psycho-education programme for Chinese outpatients with schizophrenia on a wide variety of patient outcomes, including their mental and psychosocial functioning, insights into illness and re-hospitalisation rates, over a long-term (18 months) follow-up. The programme was an integrated, insight-inducing educational programme that addressed patients’ awareness and knowledge of schizophrenia and skills of illness management. The findings suggest that people with schizophrenia may not be distressed by the occurrence of psychotic symptoms but the meaning they construct. With only a few clinical trials, it is important to have this evidence suggesting that mindfulness-based education can be effective not only in recurrently depressed patients but also in schizophrenia sufferers. However, it is noteworthy that these improvements might be a combined effect of mindfulness training, psycho-education and problem-solving, all of which are considered therapeutic factors in previous psychosocial interventions.

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Conflict of interest: None Declared

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