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Evidence summaries

Compliance Therapy for Schizophrenia

Compliance therapy may not have an effect on compliance, attitude to treatment or mental state in people with schizophrenia. Level of evidence: "C"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 1 study with a total of 56 subjects. Compliance therapy was compared with non-specific counselling. The primary outcome 'non-compliance with treatment' showed no significant difference between compliance therapy and non-specific counseling (n=56, RR 1.23 CI 0.74 to 2.05). The compliance therapy for 2 years did not substantially effect attitudes to treatment (n=50, WMD DAI score -2.10 CI -6.11 to 1.91). Very few people (~10%) left the study by one year (n=56, RR 0.5 CI 0.1 to 2.51). Mental state seemed unaffected by the therapy (n=50, WMD PANSS score 6.1 CI -4.54 to 16.74) as was insight (n=50, WMD SAI -0.5 CI -2.43 to 1.43), global functioning (n=50, WMD GAF -4.20 CI -16.42 to 8.02) and quality of life (n=50, WMD QLS -3.40 CI -16.25 to 9.45). At both one and two years the average number of days in hospital was non-significantly reduced for those allocated to the compliance therapy.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by imprecise results (few patients and wide confidence intervals).

    References

    • McIntosh AM, Conlon L, Lawrie SM, Stanfield AC. Compliance therapy for schizophrenia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006 Jul 19;3:CD003442. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords