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Outpatient and inpatient mental health service outcomes for outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who received psychoeducational multiple-family group treatment were compared with outcomes for similar patients who received standard care. A total of 106 outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who were receiving services from a large community mental health center were randomly assigned to receive standard care or standard care plus multiple-family group treatment. The two-year multiple-family intervention consisted of weekly group sessions designed to educate patients and their family members about the biological basis of mental illness and treatment, to improve illness management and coping skills, and to provide social support. The group sessions were conducted by two clinicians using a standardized protocol. Each multiple-family group …