Resource Groups Beneficial as Part of Treatment for Patients With Severe Mental Illness

Resource groups help to establish empowerment and engagement principles in patients with severe mental illness, according to recent research published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Researchers aimed to determine if the structure of a resource group with flexible assertive community treatment has positive effects on recovery-related outcomes and principles of empowerment for patients with severe mental illness.

“The present study therefore investigated whether integrating (resource groups)RGs with community care has favorable effects on empowerment as well as quality of life, recovery, social and societal functioning, and symptoms compared with community care as usual,” wrote Cathelijn Tjaden, MSc, Department of Reintegration and Community Care, Trimbos Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands, and co-researchers.

A total of 158 participants with severe mental illness were included in this assessor-blind, multisite randomized clinical trial. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive flexible assertive community treatment plus resource groups or flexible assertive community treatment alone. Patients randomized to the flexible assertive community treatment plus resource group arm selected members from their networks to form a resource group that discussed recovery goals quarterly.

The trial was conducted between September 2017 and September 2020 with follow-up at 9 and 18 months and data analyzations from September 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021.

The primary outcome in this trial was empowerment measured by the 40-item Netherlands Empowerment List, which participants self-reported. The list contains 6 subscales including confidence and purpose, self-management, connectedness, social support, professional help, and caring community.

Patients in the treatment arm with the resource groups were more satisfied with treatment at 9 and 18 months. These patients had increased rates of empowerment in addition to reporting improved outcomes in quality of life, personal recovery, quality of social contact, disability, general function, and social functioning.

“These findings show that working with RGs improves empowerment and other mental health outcomes in people with SMI (severe mental illness) who receive community-based mental health services. This method of network-oriented care empowers people with SMI within their own environment,” concluded Tjaden et al.

Reference:

Tjaden C, Mulder CL, den Hollander W, et al. Effectiveness of Resource Groups for Improving Empowerment, Quality of Life, and Functioning of People With Severe Mental Illness: A Randomized Clinical Trial [published online ahead of print, 2021 Oct 13]. JAMA Psychiatry. 2021;10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.2880. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.2880