Effects of a mindfulness-based psychoeducation programme for Chinese patients with schizophrenia: 2-year follow-up

Background Psychoeducation programmes for people with schizophrenia are shown to reduce relapses but few studies have indicated significant improvements in patients' illness awareness and insight, functioning, symptom severity or rates of readmission to hospital. Aims To examine the effects of a mindfulness-based psychoeducation programme for Chinese people with schizophrenia. Method A multisite randomised controlled trial was conducted with 107 out-patients with schizophrenia: 36 and 35 received a 6-month mindfulness-based psychoeducation and a conventional psychoeducation programme, respectively, and 35 received routine care alone. Patient outcome measures were psychiatric symptom severity, psychosocial functioning, social support, insight into illness/treatment, and frequency and duration of readmissions to hospital (ClinicalTrials.gov: trial registration NCT01667601). Results The mindfulness-based psychoeducation group reported significantly greater improvements in psychiatric symptoms, psychosocial functioning, insight into illness/treatment and duration of readmissions to hospital over 24 months when compared with the other two groups. Conclusions Mindfulness-based psychoeducation appears to be a promising approach to treatment for Chinese patients with schizophrenia.