LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine University ...

long-term intervention of psychoeducation, cognitive training
and cognitive behavioural therapy plus information for
relatives over 12 months. These methods were applied as
described in a manual in a randomised study design within
the framework of the pharmacotherapeutic basic study. No
major differences were found between the two treatment
arms in the following outcome parameters: clinically
relevant worsening, several psychopathological and testpsychological
scales. Only the drop-out rate was significantly
increased in the cognitive-behavioural therapy arm of the
study. When interpreting the results, one has to consider the
self-levelling (positive) effects of pharmacotherapy, “ceiling
effects” in regard to the positive selection of persons with a
high degree treatment compliance and the longer duration
of the cognitive-behavioural therapy arm with the associated
higher likelihood of drop-out.
S3 – Schizophrenia treatment guideline
W. Gaebel, S. Weinmann
Project period: 2001–2006
Financing: DGPPN and departmental research budget
Under the aegis of the German Association for Psychiatry
and Psychotherapy (DGPPN) and within the context of the
guidelines/quality assurance section of the DGPPN (project
manager: W. Gaebel), a new treatment guideline on the
diagnosis and treatment of persons with schizophrenia
was developed and published (see also Research
Group on Quality Assurance in Psychiatry). With the
participation of the Association of the Scientific Medical
Societies in Germany (AWMF), the highest quality level of
guideline development (S3) was followed which took into
consideration all the elements of a systematic development
(evidence-based medicine, achieving formal consent,
algorithms, decision analysis and outcome analysis). Thus,
knowledge about the (long-term) treatment of persons with
schizophrenia is summarised on a high-quality foundation
and made available as guideline recommendations to those
working in clinical practice to support their decision-making
and thus improve the quality of healthcare.
ReseaRch
Transfer of scientific knowledge from the Competence
Network on Schizophrenia to healthcare practice:
optimisation of healthcare for persons with first-episode
schizophrenia (transfer module/TM II)
Director: W. Gaebel
Assistant: B. Conradt, M. Riesbeck, R. Zemlicka in
cooperation with H.-J. Möller (Psychiatric Department of
the Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich); J. Klosterkötter
(Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of
Cologne);
S. Klingberg (University Department of Psychiatry and
Psychotherapy,f Tübingen)
Project period: 2006–2010
Financing: FMER funding 01 GI 0502
On the basis of the results of the above mentioned firstepisode
study (pharmacological acute and long-term
treatment, psychological interventions) and in cooperation
with the research projects for early recognition of firstepisode
schizophrenia, various structural and procedural
measures were developed and implemented in healthcare
practice to improve the treatment of persons with firstepisode
schizophrenia, especially in the early phases
of incipient schizophrenia. A central goal of optimised
healthcare is – besides improving early recognition and
affording the earliest possible treatment of incipient
schizophrenia – to retain persons with first-episode
schizophrenia for the longest possible period of time on
a by and large effective therapy with a low degree of side
effects. To this end, a variety of information material was
made available – mainly to mental healthcare professionals
– through various types of media (papers, workshops,
seminars), providing information about the evidencebased
knowledge on increasing adherence to therapy in
particular. At the centre of the project is a practice manual,
in which the characteristics of the treatment of persons
with first-episode schizophrenia are explained, and the
establishment of specially qualified treatment centres,
which offer optimised therapy to persons with first-episode
schizophrenia. These centres should be able to provide
expert knowledge in pharmacotherapy and psychological
methods and should guarantee the continuity of treatment
across diverse healthcare sectors (inpatient, day care,
outpatient).
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