Needs-tailored Nurse-led Recovery Program for Community-dwelling People With Schizophrenia

Effectiveness of a Needs-tailored Nurse-led Recovery Program for Community-dwelling People With Schizophrenia: A Cluster-randomized Controlled Trial

Meeting people's needs is positively correlated with their recovery. However, recovery services rarely include nurse-led programs tailored to the needs of these people. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a new needs-tailored recovery program by using a cluster-randomized controlled trial design.

First year, investigators used the pilot study to test the needs tailored recovery program feasibility, acceptability and preliminary usefulness of the needs-tailored nurse-led recovery program. In the second year, based on the findings of the pilot study, a cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the needs-tailored nurse-led recovery program in two psychiatric centers in northern Taiwan. The treatment group receive the needs-tailored nurse-led recovery program by their home-care nurses over 6 months. The control group receive the usual community psychiatric care only. Data were collected before the intervention, after the intervention, and at a follow-up session three months after the end of the intervention period. The outcomes were recovery, needs, hope, empowerment, psychotic symptoms, and medication adherence. The investigators used repeated measures ANOVA tests to examine the effect of the group × time interaction.

Inclusion Criteria:

• were living in the community and had a diagnosis of schizophrenia based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)
• were aged 20-64 years
• were able to communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese.

Exclusion Criteria:

• were living in a community institution such as a recovery home, community rehabilitation center, nursing home, or day hospital
• had a neurocognitive disorder, substance abuse disorder, or comorbidity.