Response to the following :
You are asked by State Mental Health authorities to help understand how to best support those who are seriously mentally ill in rural communities.
In particular they want to know how to provide "social support" for those with a diagnosis of "schizophrenia" because some evidence indicates that it reduces relapse rates.
Describe the participant sampling, treatment protocols, assessment strategies and potential difficulties in researching the benefits of social support and existing mental health resources for those diagnosed with "schizophrenia" in a small rural communityin western NSW (let's call it Wobegone, population 608; baserate of those with the diagnosis of interest is 9%). The nearest Base Hospital is 250 km away in Dubbo. There is one resident, registered generalist psychologist in Wobegon, 2 community mental health nurses who visit Wobegon 3 days per month from Dubbo, and a psychiatrist who visits once per month from Sydney to monitor medication.