Tarrier 1993.
| Methods | Allocation: randomised (no further details). Blindness: not blind (assessor independent of treatment delivery but not blinded to group allocation). Duration: 5 weeks treatment, with additional follow up at 6 weeks and 6 months. Setting: community, UK. | |
| Participants | Diagnosis: schizophrenia (DSM‐III‐R). N=27. Age: 16 ‐ 65 years, mean ˜ 43 years. Sex: male and female, numbers not stated. History: experiencing symptoms for a least 6 months prior to study, not responding to regular neuroleptic treatment. Exclusion: other organic brain pathology. | |
| Interventions | 1. Problem solving: psychology led, help with daily living problems, five main stages i. explain rationale of treatment; ii. identify problems/difficulties, iii. generate solutions, iv. chose best alternative, and v. implement chosen strategy to an abstract situation and/or apply strategy to actual problems in participant's own life. N=12. 2. Coping skills: psychology led, help to recognise symptoms and learn to cope with these, use of CBT strategies, four main stages i. identification of symptom causing anxiety, ii. teaching of cognitive strategies such as attention switching and/or narrowing, self‐instruction, iii. teaching of behavioural strategies such as increasing social interactions, reality testing, and iv. teaching strategies to produce a physiological change such as relaxation and breathing exercises. N=15. |
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| Outcomes | Mental state: improved/not improved.
Leaving study early. Unable to use ‐ Mental state: PSE & BPRS number of symptoms, severity of symptoms (subscore data), PAS anxiety/depression (subscore data). Social functioning: SFS (no data presented). ANOVA results of improvement on specific skills. |
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| Notes | *Half of each treatment group were also allocated to a 'waiting period' before treatment started. In addition, half of each group given 'enhanced expectations'. As with the trialists, we have not reported on the effects of waiting list or 'high expectations'. | |
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | B ‐ Unclear |
CBT ‐ cognitive behavioural treatment DSM‐III ‐ Diagnostic and Statistical Mannual of Mental Disorder, 3rd edition. DSM‐III‐R ‐ Diagnostic and Statistical Mannual of Mental Disorder, 3rd edition, revised. GAS ‐ Goal Attainment Scale PAS ‐ Psychiatric Assessment Scale PSE ‐ Present State Examination SFS ‐ Social Functioning Scale