Activity groups for people with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: UK guidelines recommend that patients with schizophrenia are offered access to social activities, however, the impact of such interventions have not been examined in a large randomized trial. AIMS: To investigate the effect of an activity group intervention on mental health and global functioning 12 months after randomization compared to standard care alone. METHODS: Secondary analysis of data from the MATISSE study. Primary outcomes were global functioning, assessed using the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and mental health symptoms measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: About 140 participants were randomized to activity groups and 137 to standard care alone. Follow-up data were collected from 242 (87%) participants. Mental health improved significantly among those offered activity groups (change in PANSS score = -6.0, 95% CI -2.3 to -9.8) but global functioning did not (change in GAF score = 0.8, 95% CI -1.7 to 3.3). No significant differences were found between treatment arms. CONCLUSIONS: Offering activity groups to patients with schizophrenia was not associated with any additional clinical benefits. There was poor uptake and attendance at activity groups. Interventions that aim to improve negative symptoms may be useful in enabling engagement in psychosocial interventions.

Relationship between price paid for off-trade alcohol, alcohol consumption and income in England: a cross-sectional survey.

AIMS: In order to examine the potential impact of an increase in the minimum price per unit of alcohol to 50 pence ($0.78), we examined drinking patterns and household incomes of people who purchase alcohol in England at above and below this price. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of 515 members of the public in seven towns and cities in the south of England. The primary outcome was whether the participant had purchased alcohol at <50 p/unit. The main exposures were annual household income and alcohol consumption, measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C). RESULTS: The median price paid per unit of alcohol was 53.1 pence (range 16.4-297.0 pence). Those buying alcohol at <50 p/unit had a mean AUDIT-C score of 6.2 compared with 5.5 among those buying alcohol at above this price. The odds ratio (OR) of a person on low income with high-risk drinking purchasing alcohol at <50 p/unit was 1.29 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.82-1.79] compared with all other study participants. The OR of a person on low income with low-risk drinking purchasing alcohol below this price was 0.51 (95% CI = 0.30-0.87) compared with all other participants. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that an increase in the minimum price of alcohol to 50 pence price per unit is only likely to disproportionately affect people on low incomes if their alcohol consumption is excessive.