Clinical Trial: AIMHI NT Relapse Prevention Trial

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Relapse Prevention Trial in Top End Aboriginal People With Chronic Mental Illness

Brief Summary: A new treatment for indigenous people with mental illness in remote communities has been developed. The study hypothesis is that this new treatment will result in better outcomes for clients and carers than the outcomes of clients and carers who do not receive the treatment. The treatment is a combination of a talking treatment and sharing of stories about mental health. The treatment will be delivered to the client with their chosen carer and with the local Aboriginal Mental Health Worker or Health Worker. The treatment will be given by the research team - a psychiatrist and an indigenous research officer. The trial will compare two groups of clients - a control group which is receiving 'treatment as usual', and the group which receives the new treatment. Measures of social functioning and symptoms of mental illness will be administered at base line and every six months for two years.

Detailed Summary:

A combined education and counselling treatment has been developed using a care plan and stories delivered via computer based animated software, with associated flip charts and information sheets. The new treatment will take about 60 minutes to administer and will be delivered on two occasions. It will include a discussion and assessment phase, setting of goals, and completion of a care plan. Three 5-minute stories will be shown during the session. Each story will have been adapted for use by the community Aboriginal Mental Health Workers prior to base line. The process for development of the stories in each community will involve showing the generic resources and any completed community specific resources - and allowing time for the stories to be adjusted by the community. The new community – specific resources will then be used in the treatment sessions - conducted by the chief investigator– a consultant psychiatrist with 15 years experience working with indigenous mental health clients and an indigenous research officer and Aboriginal Mental Health Worker (or Health Worker). The Aboriginal Mental Health Workers will receive training in the stories at two stages – through the consultation and workshop phase of the story development, and through the delivery phase with clients and carers. The stories and care planning intervention aim to promote change through encouraging clients in their own choices and their own control of their lives, and through setting goals to make changes if they choose. The intervention involves culturally appropriate sharing of information with clients and carers about illness and treatment. The information sharing is two way - as clients are invited to share their own stories during the process.

Overview

The project design is 2 years from base line to end. Base line measures of
Sponsor: Menzies School of Health Research

Current Primary Outcome: Health of Nations Outcome Scale (HONOS) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, ]

Original Primary Outcome: Health of Nations Outcome Scale (HONOS) Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Life Skills Profile 16 (LSP) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, ]
  • Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, ]
  • Kessler 10 - client and carer [ Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, ]
  • Partners in Health Scale (PIH) - modified [ Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, ]
  • Semi structured interview with carer and client and Aboriginal Mental Health Worker [ Time Frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, ]


Original Secondary Outcome:

  • Life Skills Profile 16 (LSP)
  • Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS)
  • Kessler 10 - client and carer
  • Partners in Health Scale (PIH) - modified
  • Semi structured interview with carer and client and Aboriginal Mental Health Worker
  • All of the above at baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months


Information By: Menzies School of Health Research

Dates:
Date Received: September 12, 2005
Date Started: July 2005
Date Completion: August 2007
Last Updated: May 20, 2007
Last Verified: May 2007