Family Motivational Intervention in Schizophrenia

Motivational Interviewing and Interaction Skills Training for Carers to Change Cannabis Use in Young Adults With Recent-onset Schizophrenia: Randomised Controlled Trial

Cannabis use by people with schizophrenia is associated with family distress and poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, an Family Motivational Intervention (FMI) was developed to help parents to motivate their child with a diagnoses of recent-onset schizophrenia to reduce cannabis use.

In a single-blind randomised clinical trail with 75 patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia, parents will be assigned to either FMI or to routine care. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and at a 10- and 22-month follow-up. The study hypothesis is that FMI will be more effective than routine care in reducing (a) cannabis use in patients and (b) distress and sense of burden in parents.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia or psychotic-related disorder
• Onset of schizophrenia or related disorder within pervious the 10 years
• Cannabis use at least 2 days per week in the 3 months prior to the assessment
• Antipsychotic medication in prescribed or indicated
• At least 10 hours of contact with the parents each week in the last month

Exclusion Criteria:

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