Abstract
The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral family interventions by relatives of schizophrenic patients under community care, specifically targeting relapse and family burden as outcomes. Independent researchers conducted the analyses of the pertinence and quality of trials identified through a search strategy, following a previously developed protocol. Eleven randomized or quasi-randomized trials were selected. The summary relative risk of relapse using the fixed effects model was favorable to family intervention, with estimated efficacy reaching nearly 60% (50%-70%). Summary relative risk in the cognitive-behavioral therapy trials subgroup [RR = 0.43 (0.28-0.67)] was equivalent to that of the behavioral therapy subgroup [RR = 0.37 (0.23-0.60)] and the "pragmatic" subgroup [RR = 0.37 (0.21-0.66)], although the "pragmatic" trials were generally analyzed for effective treatment. The difference in summary overall risk of relapse was nearly 30% using the random effects model. Only four trials analyzed family burden as outcome, including different dimensions of burden. Results of individual trials were generally favorable to family intervention, for both the objective and subjective dimensions.
Highlights
The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral family interventions by relatives of schizophrenic patients under community care, targeting relapse and family burden as outcomes
The summary relative risk of relapse using the fixed effects model was favorable to family intervention, with estimated efficacy reaching nearly 60% (50%-70%)
Summary relative risk in the cognitive-behavioral therapy trials subgroup [riscos relativos (RR) = 0.43 (0.28-0.67)] was equivalent to that of the behavioral therapy subgroup [RR = 0.37 (0.23-0.60)] and the “pragmatic” subgroup [RR = 0.37 (0.21-0.66)], the “pragmatic” trials were generally analyzed for effective treatment
Summary
The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral family interventions by relatives of schizophrenic patients under community care, targeting relapse and family burden as outcomes. A análise da adequação da metodologia utilizada pelas meta-análises e ensaios foi precedida de análise da evidência sobre fatores prognósticos na condição esquizofrenia e também pelo estudo dos métodos e técnicas utilizadas em procedimentos de intervenção familiar, conforme referido anteriormente. Após a análise das revisões sistemáticas selecionadas – protocolo, implícito ou explícito, e ensaios por elas incluídos – com base nos critérios acima referidos, concluímos que, embora as meta-análises analisadas apontem evidência de beneficio da intervenção familiar, elas geralmente procederam a exames insuficientes dos processos de cegamento da alocação e da avaliação dos desfechos, bem como das perdas e das formas de análise efetuadas pelos ensaios incluídos, com exceção de Pharoah et al 21. Incluíram ensaios que testaram procedimentos não classificáveis em nenhum dos subgrupos teórico-metodológicos focalizados pela presente revisão sistemática, como procedimentos psico-educacionais mal definidos e intervenções familiares dirigidas a grupos de famílias, assim como ensaios de intervenção familiar hospitalar, sem componente comunitário, e procedimentos de intervenção familiar não definidos, conforme detalhado adiante
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
