Objective To evaluate the effects of assertive community intervention on patients with schizophrenia and family economic burden.
Methods Patients (n=120) with chronic schizophrenia and meeting study recruitment requirements were randomly assigned to a study group (with assertive community intervention) and a control group (with regular community mental health service). All the patients were followed up for one year. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Generic Quality of Life Inventory (GQOLI-74), and Social Disability Screening Schedule (SDSS) were assessed before and after the oneyear intervention. Self-administered form on disease burden was also used to compare the medical expense and other economic loss of the two groups.
Results At the end of the one-year intervention, there were statistical differences in the score averages of PANSS, GQOLI-74, and SDSS between the intervention group and the control group (t=5.036, P=0.000; t=3.309, P=0.001; t=2.408, P=0.011). One case relapsed in the intervention group (1.7%), whereas 11 cases did in the control group (18.3%) (χ2=7.50, P=0.01). The economic loss related to schizophrenia in the intervention group was lower than that in the control group (Z=2.517, P=0.012).
Conclusion Assertive community intervention shows significant improvement in clinical symptoms, quality of life, and social function and reducing the family economic burden of patients with schizophrenia.
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