ISRCTN ISRCTN76324634
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN76324634
Secondary identifying numbers D1449L00035
Submission date
28/09/2011
Registration date
24/02/2012
Last edited
24/02/2012
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data
Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that requires treatment with medication. About 1 in 2 patients stop taking medication and this makes it more likely they will become mentally unwell again (experience a relapse). The aim of this study is to find out if a talking treatment called adherence therapy will improve schizophrenia patients’ compliance with treatment.

Who can participate?
Men and women who are over the age of 18 and are currently in psychiatric hospital because of their schizophrenia can take part in this research project.

What does the study involve?
People taking part in the study were randomly allocated to either get eight sessions of adherence therapy or the care they would usually receive.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Taking part in the study means some patients will get the chance to have a new treatment that may help them be better at complying with their medication.
We do not anticipate that there will be any side effects from adherence therapy.

Where is the study run from?
There are four hospitals taking part in this study, three in Germany; Bielefeld, Warstein and Lippstadt and one in Switzerland; Bern. The co-ordinating centre for the project is Bielefeld.

When is study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study started in May 2007 and finished recruiting in July 2010.

Who is funding the study?
The trial is funded by AstraZeneca

Who is the main contact?
Dr Michael Schultz
michael.schulz@fhdd.de

Contact information

Prof Richard Gray
Scientific

University of East Anglia
Norwich
NR47TJ
United Kingdom

Email richard.gray@uea.ac.uk

Study information

Study designMulti centre single blind two arm randomised controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeQuality of life
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleAdherence therapy for schizophrenia: a multi centre randomised controlled trial
Study objectivesDrug intake behaviour would be better after Adherence Therapy compared to treatment as usual (TAU)
Ethics approval(s)Ethics Committee of the University of Münster (Germany) approved on 8th December 2006, AZ 2006-485-f-S
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedSchizophrenia
InterventionIntervention group: Adherence therapy (AT)+ Treatment as usual
Control group: Treatment as usual

Patients in the interventions group receive eight sessions of adherence therapy as an add-on to treatment as usual. AT is started whilst the patient is in hospital and completed two weeks after discharge. AT consists of six interventions assessments, structured problems solving, a medication timeline, exploring ambivalence, testing beliefs about medication, and sticking with treatment.
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measure1. Adherence - determined using drug serum levels (concentration to dose ratio)
2. Symptoms - measured using the postive and negative syndrome scale

Measured at baseline and 26 week follow-up
Secondary outcome measures1. Attitudes to treatment - assessed using the drug attitude inventory
2. Functioning - determined using the global assessment of functioning

Measured at baseline and 26 week follow-up
Overall study start date01/05/2007
Completion date31/03/2010

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participants160
Key inclusion criteria1. Patients between 18 and 65 years old
2. Patients with schizophrenia will be enrolled when the initial acute psychotic symptoms are reduced (partial remission) from a clinical point of view so that they were able to provide a written informed consent
3. Clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia will be confirmed by a research diagnosis of schizophrenia, established using the International Diagnostic Checklist for ICD-10
4. Patients will be taking antipsychotic medication at the time of recruitment, and the current treating psychiatrist has recommended the individual patient to stay on antipsychotic medication for a minimum of one year.
Key exclusion criteria1. Potential study participants will be excluded if they show acute suicidal behaviours including suicidal ideas
2. Insufficient German language capacities
3. Are administered depot medication
4. Are homeless, or suffered from a current substance or alcohol dependence (not caffeine or nicotine dependence) or mental retardation according to International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria.
5. Patients are under compulsory treatment, if they are homeless or suffer from severe medical conditions (eg. cancer, severe infection)
Date of first enrolment01/05/2007
Date of final enrolment31/03/2010

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom

Study participating centre

University of East Anglia
Norwich
NR47TJ
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bethel (Germany)
Hospital/treatment centre

Department of Research
Evaluation and Documentation
Remterweg 69/71
Bielefeld
D-33617
Germany

Email martin.driessen@evkb.de

Funders

Funder type

Industry

AstraZeneca (ref: D1449L00035)
Government organisation / For-profit companies (industry)
Alternative name(s)
AstraZeneca PLC, Pearl Therapeutics
Location
United Kingdom

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan