‘Psychosocial’ interventions with families and their effects on the course of schizophrenia: a review

Abstract

SynopsisRecent interest in the way social factors influence the course of schizophrenia has led to attempts to monitor and manipulate these factors. The work on the Expressed Emotion of the relative has been especially influential in this area. A number of studies have now been conducted in which a psychosocial intervention has been employed in an attempt to prevent relapse after discharge from hospital. These studies are reviewed with an emphasis on their methodological adequacy and on the nature of the intervention used. Recent studies have demonstrated a positive result for psychosocial interventions used in combination with neuroleptic medication. However, analysis of these studies does not allow us to conclude that we can identify the ‘active ingredients’ in these psychosocial treatment regimes. Although there is cause for optimism, further investigation is required.