Abstract
BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is one of the most serious forms of mental illness among people being treated in psychiatric clinics in developing and developed countries. Providing care for people diagnosed with schizophrenia can be stressful for their caregivers. Psycho-educational interventions may improve patients' and primary caregivers' knowledge of schizophrenia and impact positively on patients' physical and psychological outcomes and primary caregivers' burden of care and quality of life. Studies thus far have shown that these interventions may improve patients' and caregivers' outcomes, but the quality of included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is poor and it is difficult to draw firm conclusions as to the effectiveness of such interventions on patients and primary caregivers' outcomes, hence the current study. METHODS/DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial in four outpatient mental health clinics in Jordan comparing psycho-educational interventions in the form of six booklets every fortnight, with treatment as usual in people diagnosed with schizophrenia and their primary caregivers. The primary outcome for participants is knowledge of Schizophrenia; secondary outcomes for patients are positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and relapse rate, while secondary outcomes for primary caregivers are burden of care and quality of life. All measures are assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention and at three months follow-up. DISCUSSION: This randomized control trial, conducted in Jordan among people living with schizophrenia and their primary caregivers, will assess the effect of psycho-educational interventions on knowledge of Schizophrenia, patients' positive and negative symptoms and quality of life, and caregivers' burden of care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN78084871.