High intensity interval training (HIIT) may improve a range of physical and mental health outcomes among people with severe mental illnesses (SMI). However, there is limited data on patients’ reported attitudes towards HIIT and its implementation within inpatient settings, and there remains an absence of data on attitudes towards HIIT from informal family carers of service users and healthcare professionals, who both have key roles to play in facilitating recovery outcomes in service users. This study sought to qualitatively investigate, in inpatients with SMI, carer and staff groups, perspectives on implementing HIIT interventions for patient groups in inpatient settings.

Seven focus groups and one individual interview were conducted. These included three focus groups held with inpatients with SMI (n = 12), two held with informal carers (n = 15), and two held with healthcare professionals working in inpatient settings (n = 11). An additional individual interview was conducted with one patient participant. The focus group schedule comprised open- ended questions designed to generate discussion and elicit opinions surrounding the introduction of HIIT on inpatient mental health wards. Data were subject to a thematic analysis.

Two key themes emerged from the data, across all participants, that reflected the ‘Positivity’ in the application of HIIT interventions in psychiatric inpatient settings with beliefs that it would help patients feel more relaxed, build their fitness, and provide a break from the monotony of ward environment. Moreover, the short length of HIIT sessions was deemed appealing to mitigate against difficulties that many inpatients can experience with motivation, interest and attention, and was considered to be more appealing than more lengthy forms of exercise, which may require greater physical exertion. The second theme related to ‘Implementation concerns’, that reflected subthemes about i) low patient motivation, particularly with older participants, those administered many medications, and for those with less positive memories of exercise ii) patient safety, including concerns surrounding the intensity of HIIT and inclusion of patients with physical health comorbidities and iii) practical logistical factors, including having access to the right sports clothing and staff availability to supervise HIIT.

HIIT for inpatients with SMI was actively endorsed by patients, carers and healthcare professionals. Patient safety and baseline motivation levels, and practical service considerations were all noted as potential barriers to successful implementation and are worth considering in preparation for trialing a new intervention.

Treatment-resistant schizophrenia is a major disabling illness which often proves challenging to manage in a secondary care setting. The National Psychosis Unit (NPU) is a specialised tertiary in-patient facility that provides evidence-based, personalised, multidisciplinary interventions for complex treatment-resistant psychosis, in order to reduce the risk of readmission and long-term care costs.

This study aimed to assess the long-term effectiveness of treatment at the NPU by considering naturalistic outcome measures.

Using a mirror image design, we compared the numbers of psychiatric and general hospital admissions, in-patient days, acuity of placement, number of psychotropic medications and dose of antipsychotic medication prescribed before and following NPU admission. Data were obtained from the Clinical Records Interactive Search system, an anonymised database sourced from the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust electronic records, and by means of anonymous linkage to the Hospital Episode Statistics system.

Compared with the 2 years before NPU admission, patients had fewer mental health admissions (1.65 ± 1.44 v. 0.87 ± 0.99, z = 5.594, P < 0.0001) and less mental health bed usage (335.31 ± 272.67 v. 199.42 ± 261.96, z = 5.195 P < 0.0001) after NPU admission. Total in-patient days in physical health hospitals and total number of in-patient days were also significantly reduced (16.51 ± 85.77 v. 2.83 ± 17.38, z = 2.046, P = 0.0408; 351.82 ± 269.09 v. 202.25 ± 261.05, z = 5.621, P < 0.0001). The reduction in level of support required after treatment at the NPU was statistically significant (z = −8.099, P < 0.0001).

This study demonstrates the long-term effectiveness of a tertiary service specialising in treatment-resistant psychosis.

1. (1) To evaluate the impact of a sole-session psychoeducation intervention on illness beliefs.

2. (2) To compare the outcomes of the sole-session psychoeducation intervention to the previous, more intensive (three-session) version of the same intervention.

3. (3) To consider the value of research approaches to evaluating psychoeducation interventions for carers of people with psychosis.

Clozapine is uniquely effective in treatment-resistant psychosis but remains underutilised, partly owing to psychotic symptoms leading to non-adherence to oral medication. An intramuscular formulation is available in the UK but outcomes remain unexplored.

This was a retrospective clinical effectiveness study of intramuscular clozapine prescription for treatment initiation and maintenance in treatment-resistant psychosis over a 3-year period.

Successful initiation of oral clozapine after intramuscular prescription was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included all-cause clozapine discontinuation 2 years following initiation, and 1 year after discharge. Discontinuation rates were compared with a cohort prescribed only oral clozapine. Propensity scores were used to address confounding by indication.

Among 39 patients prescribed intramuscular clozapine, 19 received at least one injection, whereas 20 accepted oral clozapine when given an enforced choice between the two. Thirty-six (92%) patients successfully initiated oral clozapine after intramuscular prescription; three never transitioned to oral. Eight discontinued oral clozapine during the 2-year follow-up, compared with 83 out of 162 in the comparator group (discontinuation rates of 24% and 50%, respectively). Discontinuation rates at 1-year post-discharge were 21%, compared with 44% in the comparison group. Intramuscular clozapine prescription was associated with a non-significantly lower hazard of discontinuation 2 years after initiation (hazard ratio 0.39, 95% CI 0.14–1.06) and 1 year after discharge (hazard ratio 0.37, 95% CI 0.11–1.24). The only reported adverse event specific to the intramuscular formulation was injection site pain and swelling.

Intramuscular clozapine prescription allowed transition to oral maintenance in an initially non-adherent cohort. Discontinuation rates were similar to patients only prescribed oral clozapine and comparable to existing literature.

Schizotypy represents a cluster of personality traits consisting of magical beliefs, perceptual aberrations, disorganisation, and anhedonia. Schizotypy denotes a vulnerability for psychosis, one reason being psychosocial stress. High expressed emotion (EE), a rating of high criticism, hostility, and emotional over-involvement from a close relative, denotes psychosocial stress and vulnerability to psychosis, and is associated with schizotypy. This study aimed to decipher the relationship of schizotypy to perceived criticism and perceived praise in terms of affect and perceived EE.

Ninety-eight healthy participants listened to short audio-clips containing criticism, praise, and neutral comments from a stranger, and evaluated them in terms of the comments’ arousal and personal relevance. Participants also answered self-report questionnaires of schizotypy, depression, mood, and perceived EE. Correlational analyses tested the relationship between schizotypy and the evaluations of criticism and praise. Mediation analyses then tested whether depression, positive mood, and perceived EE explained these relationships.

Greater relevance of standard criticism correlated with higher positive schizotypy. This association was fully mediated by high depression and perceived irritability from a close relative. Lower relevance of standard praise correlated with higher cognitive disorganisation (another schizotypal trait). This relationship was partially mediated by low positive mood and high perceived intrusiveness from a close relative.

Greater perceived criticism and lower perceived praise predict schizotypy in the healthy population. Affect and interpersonal sensitivity towards a close relative explain these relationships, such that depression increases perceived criticism, and positive mood increases perceived praise. Perceived EE defines the interpersonal nature of schizotypy.

Caregivers make a significant and growing contribution to the social and medical care of people with long-standing disorders. The effective provision of this care is dependent on their own continuing health.

To investigate the relationship between weekly time spent caregiving and psychiatric and physical morbidity in a representative sample of the population of England.

Primary outcome measures were obtained from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007. Self-report measures of mental and physical health were used, along with total symptom scores for common mental disorder derived from the Clinical Interview Schedule – Revised.

In total, 25% (n = 1883) of the sample identified themselves as caregivers. They had poorer mental health and higher psychiatric symptom scores than non-caregivers. There was an observable decline in mental health above 10 h per week. A twofold increase in psychiatric symptom scores in the clinical range was recorded in those providing care for more than 20 h per week. In adjusted analyses, there was no excess of physical disorders in caregivers.

We found strong evidence that caregiving affects the mental health of caregivers. Distress frequently reaches clinical thresholds, particularly in those providing most care. Strategies for maintaining the mental health of caregivers are needed, particularly as demographic changes are set to increase involvement in caregiving roles.

In up to a quarter of patients, schizophrenia is resistant to standard treatments. We undertook a naturalistic study of 153 patients treated in the tertiary referral in-patient unit of the National Psychosis Service based at the Maudsley Hospital in London. A retrospective analysis of symptoms on admission and discharge was undertaken using the OPCRIT tool, along with preliminary economic modelling of potential costs related to changes in accommodation.

In-patient treatment demonstrated statistically significant improvements in all symptom categories in patients already identified as having schizophrenia refractory to standard secondary care. The preliminary cost analysis showed net savings to referring authorities due to changes from pre- to post-discharge accommodation.

Despite the enormous clinical, personal and societal burden of refractory psychotic illnesses, there is insufficient information on the outcomes of specialised tertiary-level care. Our pilot data support its utility in all domains measured.

There is a long history of research into the attributes of carers of people with psychosis, but few interventions target their distress or their difficulties.

To describe an empirically based model of the relationships of those caring for people with psychosis to inform clinical and theoretical advances.

We developed a model of informal carer relationships in psychosis, based on an integration of the literature elaborating the concept of expressed emotion. The model accounts for divergent outcomes of three relationship types: positive, overinvolved and critical/hostile relationships.

Good evidence supports a number of hypotheses concerning the origin and maintenance of these relationship outcomes, which relate to specific differences in carer attributions, illness perceptions, coping behaviour, social support, distress, depression and low self-esteem predicted by our model. We propose that interventions aimed at modifying the specific maintenance factors involved in the different styles of relationships will optimise therapeutic change both for service users with psychosis and for their carers.

Family work in psychosis, which improves relationships through problem-solving, reduces service user relapse. It is now time to consider theory-based interventions focused on improving carer outcomes.