Feasibility of an Intervention Delivered via Mobile Phone and Internet to Improve the Continuity of Care in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Christina Gallinat, Markus Moessner, Sandra Apondo, Philipp A. Thomann, Sabine C. Herpertz and Stephanie Bauer
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Christina Gallinat: Center for Psychotherapy Research, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Markus Moessner: Center for Psychotherapy Research, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Sandra Apondo: Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Philipp A. Thomann: Zentrum für Seelische Gesundheit, Gesundheitszentrum Odenwaldkreis GmbH, 64711 Erbach im Odenwald, Germany
Sabine C. Herpertz: Department of General Psychiatry, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Stephanie Bauer: Center for Psychotherapy Research, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-13

Abstract: Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness associated with a heavy symptom burden and high relapse rates. Digital interventions are increasingly suggested as means to facilitate continuity of care, relapse prevention, and long-term disease management for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In order to investigate the feasibility of a mobile and internet-based aftercare program, a 2-arm randomized controlled pilot study was conducted. The program could be used by patients for six months after inpatient treatment and included psychoeducation, an individual crisis plan, optional counseling via internet chat or phone and a supportive monitoring module. Due to the slow pace of enrollment, recruitment was stopped before the planned sample size was achieved. Reasons for the high exclusion rate during recruitment were analyzed as well as attitudes, satisfaction, and utilization of the program by study participants. The data of 25 randomized patients suggest overall positive attitudes towards the program, high user satisfaction and good adherence to the monitoring module. Overall, the results indicate that the digital program might be suitable to provide support following discharge from intensive care. In addition, the study provides insights into specific barriers to recruitment which may inform future research in the field of digital interventions for severe mental illness.

Keywords: schizophrenia; aftercare; relapse prevention; internet; mobile; digital (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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