Interpersonal Community Psychiatric Treatment for non-psychotic chronic patients and nurses in outpatient mental health care : A controlled pilotstudy on feasibility and effects

In psychiatric care professionals perceive some patients as ‘difficult’, especially patients with long-term non-psychotic disorders. For these patients few evidence-based treatments exist. An intervention program, Interpersonal Community Psychiatric Treatment (ICPT), was developed by the authors. It was evaluated with the aim to increase effective behaviours by both patients and community psychiatric nurses (CPNs). ICPT is one of very few intervention programs aimed at ‘difficult’ non-psychotic chronic patients. In this pilot study was found that it can be successfully carried out by CPNs, is generally experienced as acceptable and useful by patients and CPNs alike, and results in some significantly better effects on both process and outcome measures. In the main study, some alterations will be made to the instruction manual and training program. Also, the diagnostic interview may be briefer, and the characteristics and treatment integrity of CPNs will be included in measurements. Further controlled and randomized research is needed to test the effectiveness of the program in a larger group of patients