Is befriending a possible intervention in people living with schizophrenia?

Introduction: Befriending is a non-specific intervention that may be valuable, cost-effective and easy to implement, complementing the complex therapeutic approach that schizophrenia requires. Objectives: This is a prospective, repeated-measures study design aimed to evaluate the possible clinical and functional changes in people living with schizophrenia undergoing 4 individual-basis, weekly Befriending sessions. The chart reviews supplemented the demographic information. Methods: Participants: 32 individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were enrolled in this study. Specific psycho-social instruments were used to assess the possible clinical and/or functional changes post-intervention. Results/discussions: No statistically significant clinical improvement was found at the end of the intervention. However, we found a statistically significant improvement in quality of life, as measured by the Q-LES-Q-SF questionnaire, and a statistically significant decrease in the Anxiety item on the PANSS General Scale. Conclusions: Befriending was identified as providing an opportunity for increased social interactions and the development of healthy social relationships, suggesting that it may be considered a complementary or supplementary intervention for patients with schizophrenia, especially when CBTp is not readily available. A protocol involving the use of befriending as a pre-CBT intervention tool was suggested as a preparatory stage addressing social and interactional skills necessary for the more involved therapeutic engagement of the CBTp.