Lay health worker-delivered case management for early episodes of psychosis in Bangkok, Thailand (Lay-CARE): a single-centre, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

While specialist-led early intervention services (EIS) have been shown to be effective for early-phase psychosis, the effectiveness of a non-specialist-led EIS is still unclear. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of a low-intensity case management (LICM) programme led by lay health workers for patients during early episodes of psychosis on six-month outcomes compared to usual care (UC) in Bangkok, Thailand.

Methods

This pragmatic randomised controlled trial (Lay-CARE) included patients aged ≥18 years with a history of a first or second episode of psychotic disorder residing in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region (Thammasat University hospital's catchment district). Participants were randomised to either LICM or UC group. LICM intervention consisted of famil

SUBMITTER: Jirapramukpitak T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12178936 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature