Psychoeducation and motivational interviewing to reduce relapses and increase patients’ involvement in antipsychotic treatment: interventional study

AIMS AND METHOD: To assess whether the combination of motivational interviewing and psychoeducation affects relapse rate and stimulates involvement of people with psychosis in their treatment. We conducted an interventional study including patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder treated with oral antipsychotics, without previous experience of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs). They were randomised to either psychoeducation with motivational interviewing or a control group. Hospital admissions 18 months before and after the intervention, and switches to LAIs 18 months after the intervention, were recorded. RESULTS: The two groups each comprised 101 participants. Fourteen from the intervention group and seven from the control group switched to LAIs. Five in the intervention group instigated the switch themselves, compared with zero controls (P = 0.06). Fourteen in the intervention group were readmitted to hospital during follow-up, compared with 23 in the control group (P = 0.14). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Psychoeducation with motivational interviewing may increase patients' involvement in their treatment and reduce the relapse frequency.