The effectiveness of a primary care-based collaborative care model to improve quality of life in people with severe mental illness: PARTNERS2 cluster randomised controlled trial

Byng, Richard and Creanor, Siobhan and Jones, Benjamin and Hosking, Joanne and Plappert, Humera and Bevan, Sheriden and Britten, Nicky and Clark, Michael and Davies, Linda and Frost, Julia and Gask, Linda and Gibbons, Bliss and Gibson, John and Hardy, Pollyanna and Hobson-Merrett, Charley and Huxley, Peter and Jeffery, Alison and Marwaha, Steven and Rawcliffe, Tim and Reilly, Siobhan and Richards, Debra and Sayers, Ruth and Williams, Lynsey and Pinfold, Vanessa and Birchwood, Maximillian (2023) The effectiveness of a primary care-based collaborative care model to improve quality of life in people with severe mental illness: PARTNERS2 cluster randomised controlled trial. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 222 (6). pp. 246-256. ISSN 0007-1250

Abstract

Background Individuals living with severe mental illness can have significant emotional, physical and social challenges. Collaborative care combines clinical and organisational components. Aims We tested whether a primary care-based collaborative care model (PARTNERS) would improve quality of life for people with diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other psychoses, compared with usual care. Method We conducted a general practice-based, cluster randomised controlled superiority trial. Practices were recruited from four English regions and allocated (1:1) to intervention or control. Individuals receiving limited input in secondary care or who were under primary care only were eligible. The 12-month PARTNERS intervention incorporated person-centred coaching support and liaison work. The primary outcome was quality of life as measured by the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA). Results We allocated 39 general practices, with 198 participants, to the PARTNERS intervention (20 practices, 116 participants) or control (19 practices, 82 participants). Primary outcome data were available for 99 (85.3%) intervention and 71 (86.6%) control participants. Mean change in overall MANSA score did not differ between the groups (intervention: 0.25, s.d. 0.73; control: 0.21, s.d. 0.86; estimated fully adjusted between-group difference 0.03, 95% CI −0.25 to 0.31; P = 0.819). Acute mental health episodes (safety outcome) included three crises in the intervention group and four in the control group. Conclusions There was no evidence of a difference in quality of life, as measured with the MANSA, between those receiving the PARTNERS intervention and usual care. Shifting care to primary care was not associated with increased adverse outcomes.