Clinical trials

This study will evaluate whether Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy (NECT) can promote recovery among adults living with severe mental health disorders, including substance use disorders. NECT is a structured group intervention that combines education about stigma, cognitive techniques to challenge internalized negative beliefs, and narrative exercises that help participants develop a broader identity beyond their diagnosis. Approximately 106 adults receiving outpatient or day-hospital psychiatric care at Geneva University Hospitals will be randomly assigned to receive either usual care plus 12 weekly NECT sessions or usual care plus 12 comparison group sessions that do not specifically address self-stigma or recovery. The study will examine whether NECT improves recovery after the intervention and whether any benefits are maintained over time.

Home Treatment (HT) has been successfully implemented in adult psychiatry in several countries including Switzerland. Patients with addiction problems were generally excluded even if the latter was not the main diagnosis. On the other hand, community treatments have successfully been established for these individuals. The investigators have recently offered HT to persons with severe addictive disorders which was well accepted. The investigators intend to conduct a pilot study to prepare a large-scale study if successful. The investigators intend to compare HT to treatment as usual (regular inpatient treatment) on a specialized ward with respect to readmission rates during 6 months after discharge. The data show that 70.8% of all readmissions occur during the first 6 months. Therefore, a period of 6 months is considered an adequate time interval to sufficiently answer this pilot study's question.