Observer-Blind Randomized Control Trial for the Effectiveness of Intensive Case Management in Seoul: Clinical and Quality-of-Life Outcomes for Severe Mental Illness
Psychiatry Investig. 2025 May;22(5):513-521. doi: 10.30773/pi.2024.0340. Epub 2025 May 15.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: In South Korea, there is a significant gap in systematic, evidence-based research on intensive case management (ICM) for individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of ICM through a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing ICM with standard case management (non-ICM).
METHODS: An RCT was conducted to assess the effectiveness of Seoul-intensive case management (S-ICM) vs. non-ICM in individuals with SMI in Seoul. A total of 78 participants were randomly assigned to either the S-ICM group (n=41) or the control group (n=37). Various clinical assessments, including the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, Health of the Nation Outcome Scale, and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I), along with quality-of-life measures such as the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule, WHO Quality of Life scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were evaluated over a 3-month period. Statistical analyses, including analysis of covariance and logistic regression, were used to determine the effectiveness of S-ICM.
RESULTS: The S-ICM group had significantly lower odds of self-harm or suicidal attempts compared to the control group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21-1.38). Psychiatric symptoms measured by the BPRS and perceived social support measured by the MSPSS significantly improved in the S-ICM group. The S-ICM group also had significantly higher odds of CGI-I compared to the control group (aOR=8.20, 95% CI: 2.66-25.32).
CONCLUSION: This study provides inaugural evidence on the effectiveness of S-ICM services, supporting their standardization and potential nationwide expansion.
J Interpers Violence. 2025 May 23:8862605251338794. doi: 10.1177/08862605251338794. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTLimited evidence exists on help-seeking, access, and use of support services and resources by...
J Psychopharmacol. 2025 May 23:2698811251337374. doi: 10.1177/02698811251337374. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Antipsychotic-induced weight gain (AIWG) is a major concern in psychiatry, where there is a...
Food Funct. 2025 May 23. doi: 10.1039/d5fo00499c. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAlterations in calcium homeostasis are critical for the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but...
Front Pharmacol. 2025 May 6;16:1574574. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1574574. eCollection 2025.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Depression is a psychological condition in adolescents caused by various factors. Many serious consequences can be...
Front Psychiatry. 2025 May 8;16:1565217. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1565217. eCollection 2025.ABSTRACTAIMS: To establish the relationship between depersonalization/derealization symptoms (DPs), as assessed by different standardized DP scales, and...
Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2025 Jun;55(3):e70020. doi: 10.1111/sltb.70020.ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: With the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline's expanding role in the crisis care continuum in the U.S.,...
