M E T H O D S
Criteria for considering studies for this review
Types of studies Allrelevantrandomisedcontrolledtrials.Quasi-randomisedtrials, using, for example, alternation as the method of randomisation, were excluded.
Types of participants People suffering from severe non-affective mental disorders such as schizophrenia and schizophreniform, schizoaffective or schizotypal disorders, and including those with multiple diagnoses.
Types of interventions 1. All didactic interventions of psychoeducation or patient teaching involving individuals or groups were included. Psychoeducational interventions were defined as any group or individual programme involving interaction between information provider and patient.Theseprogrammesaddresstheillnessfromamultidimensional viewpoint, including familial, social, biological and pharmacological perspectives. Patients are provided with support, information and management strategies. Programmesof 10 sessions or less were considered as ’brief’, and 11 or more as ’standard’ for the purposes of this review. Interventions including elements of behavioural training, such as social skills or life skills training, as well as education performed by patient peers, were excluded from this review. Staff education studies were also excluded. 2. Standard care was definedasthe normal levelof psychiatric care provided in the area where the trial was carried out.