Study protocol for a pragmatic cluster RCT on the effect and cost-effectiveness of Everyday Life Rehabilitation versus treatment as usual for persons with severe psychiatric disability living in sheltered or supported housing facilities

BACKGROUND: People with severe psychiatric disabilities and impaired autonomy, living in sheltered or supported housing facilities, often lead sedentary, solitary lives indoors and have significantly poorer health than others in the population. Meaningful everyday activities are important for the recovery towards an enrichening, agentic, social, and hopeful everyday life. The Everyday Life Rehabilitation (ELR) model—a person-centred activity- and recovery-oriented intervention—has shown positive outcomes in feasibility studies, and thus a randomised controlled trial (RCT) is required to establish the effectiveness of ELR, along with calculations of cost-effectiveness. METHODS: The ELR-RCT is a pragmatic, two-parallel-armed cluster RCT evaluating the effect and cost-effectiveness of using ELR from two measurement points over 6 months (pre-post intervention) and in three waves over 3 years. The primary outcome is recovering quality of life (ReQoL) at 6 months, and the secondary outcome is self-perceived recovery and daily functioning (RAS-DS) at 6 months. Additionally, Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) will be used for the intervention group. Power analysis has been conducted for primary outcome measure. The first wave will include an internal pilot, to be evaluated after 6 months, used as basis for decisions on updating the required sample size and any other need for adaptations before continuing with the full-scale RCT in the second and third wave. All municipalities within a geographic area in northern Sweden, with a minimum of one sheltered or supported housing facility for people with severe psychiatric or neuropsychiatric disability, including access to occupational therapy, will be enrolled. Participants will be block-randomised to receive ELR plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone for a control period. The control group will thereafter receive delayed ELR. Occupational therapists and housing staff will receive an educational package, manuals, and tools, as well as reflections with colleagues during the intervention period. Housing managers will receive questions for monthly follow-up and coaching with staff. DISCUSSION: This is a protocol for both an internal pilot and full trial of the first RCT study using the ELR intervention model in sheltered or supported housing facilities, evaluating the effects together with cost-effectiveness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05056415. Registered on 24 September 2021. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-022-06622-0.