the German-speaking realm.36 A total of 236 patients
suffering from a psychosis from the group of schizophrenic
disorders (DSM IV-R/ICD-9) and their relatives
were included in the study; 125 patients took part in psychoeducational
intervention groups and 111 patients together
with their relatives were assigned to the control
group. Assignment was carried out randomly. Patients
and relatives each received 8 independent psychoeducational
group sessions starting during the stay of the patient
in a medical institution. Rehospitalization rates (see
figure 1) and days in hospital (see figure 2) after 2 years
were significantly reduced in the intervention group. It
was thus possible to show that a short-term psychoeducational
intervention including patients and their closest
relatives can have a significant effect on rehospitalization
rates and the number of days spent in hospital.
Patients with between 2 and 5 previous hospitalizations
showed most profit within a follow-up period of 2 years.