G van de Willige

Cognitive behaviour therapy with coping training for persistent auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia: a naturalistic follow‐up study of the durability of effects

Objective: To investigate the durability of positive effects of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) with coping training on psychotic symptoms and social functioning.

Hallucination focused integrative treatment improves quality of life in schizophrenia patients

Objective:  Psychosocial treatment seems to be effective in the management of schizophrenia, although less in the area of quality of life and social functioning. To study the effectiveness of a hallucination focused integrated treatment with cognitive‐behaviour therapy and coping training among schizophrenia patients suffering from ‘hearing voices’.

MENTAL-HEALTH INTERVENTION PROGRAMS IN PRIMARY CARE - THEIR SCIENTIFIC BASIS

This study examines the scientific basis for mental health intervention programs in primary care. The validity of five underlying assumptions is evaluated, using the results of a naturalistic study covering a representative sample of 25 Dutch family practices and data from the literature. Our findings corroborate the validity of the assumptions. Firstly, our study indicates that mental disorders are indeed very prevalent in primary care settings. Secondly, we find that a substantial proportion of mental disorders is not recognized by the general practitioner (GP). Thirdly, our data show that mental disorders in primary care are not transient or self-limiting. Fourthly, it is shown that only half of the GP attenders with a mental disorder receive some form of mental health treatment in the 14 months after their index consultation. Finally, our data suggest that mental disorders, when identified, can be treated effectively in primary care. These findings are in general agreement with the literature. In the discussion we underscore the need for public health intervention programs targeted at primary care providers. Training programs for general physicians must be directed at improving recognition and diagnosis and at enhancing the availability and quality of mental health interventions. The effectiveness of these programs has to be tested in randomized trials.

HIT, hallucination focused integrative treatment as early intervention in psychotic adolescents with auditory hallucinations : a pilot study

Objective: Early intervention in psychosis is considered important in relapse prevention. Limited results of monotherapies prompt to
development of multimodular programmes. The present study tests feasibility and effectiveness of HIT, an integrative early intervention treatment for auditory hallucinations, in community psychiatry.

Cost-effectiveness of the HIT programme in patients with schizophrenia and persistent auditory hallucinations

Objective:  To examine the cost‐effectiveness of Hallucination focused Integrative Treatment (HIT) in patients with schizophrenia and a history of persistent auditory hallucinations.

Validity of a short clinical interview for psychiatric diagnosis: the mini-SCAN

BACKGROUND To promote clinical application of the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) system a shorter version (the mini-SCAN) was devised. Its psychometric properties were unknown. AIMS To establish the validity and practical properties of the mini-SCAN. METHOD One hundred and six participants were interviewed twice, once with the SCAN and once with the mini-SCAN. The level of agreement was established for the categories: no disorder, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, non-affective psychotic disorders, affective psychotic disorders. RESULTS The mini-SCAN is a valid instrument. Most kappa values were around 0.90. Only for the class of affective psychotic disorders was the agreement moderate. Mean duration of the mini-SCAN interviews was 25 min shorter than the SCAN interviews. Participants and interviewers were generally satisfied with the interview format and questions. CONCLUSIONS The mini-SCAN can be used as a diagnostic instrument for clinical purposes and for clinical studies when the present episode is the focus of attention.