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Clinical Case Management for Patients with Schizophrenia with High Care Needs

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to establish the effectiveness of a clinical case management (CM) programme compared to a standard treatment programme (STP) in patients with schizophrenia. Patients for the CM programme were consecutively selected among patients in the STP with schizophrenia who had poor functioning. Seventy-five patients were admitted to the CM programme and were matched to 75 patients in the STP. Patients were evaluated at baseline and at 1 year follow-up. At baseline, patients in the CM programme showed lower levels of clinical and psychosocial functioning and more care needs than patients in the STP. Both treatment programmes were effective in maintaining contact with services but the CM programme did not show advantages over the STP on outcomes. Differences between groups at baseline may be masking the effects of CM at one year follow-up. A longer follow-up may be required to evaluate the real CM practices effects.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grant PI050789 from the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs of Spain, Carlos III Institute of Health, Health Research Fund, Madrid, Spain, and Grant 2009SGR00822 from the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants, Government of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.

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Correspondence to Lluís Lalucat-Jo.

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For the Research Group on Severe Mental Disorder.

The Working Group on Severe Mental Disorder is provided in the Appendix.

Appendix

Appendix

The Working Group on Severe Mental Disorder is composed of the following members from Adult Mental Health Care Centres in Barcelona: Mª A. Argany, F. Asensio, M. Berruezo, C. Blecua, I. Bros, A. I. Cerrillo, A. del Cuerpo, A. Escudero, J. Farré, C. Fort, M. García, M. C. González, E. Leno, L. Mauri, I. Mitjà, M. Montoro, M. Nicolás, R. Ordoñez, C. Pinedo, M. Prats, M. J. Redin, M. T. Romero, F. Segarra, J. C. Valdearcos, I. Zafra, M. Zamora, A. Zúñiga.

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Mas-Expósito, L., Amador-Campos, J.A., Gómez-Benito, J. et al. Clinical Case Management for Patients with Schizophrenia with High Care Needs. Community Ment Health J 51, 165–170 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9741-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9741-8

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