Effectiveness of a brief psychoeducational group intervention for relatives on the course of disease in patients after inpatient depression treatment compared with treatment as usual--study protocol of a multisite randomised controlled trial.

Background: Relapses and rehospitalisations are common after acute inpatient treatment in depressive disorders. Interventions for stabilising treatment outcomes are urgently needed. Psychoeducational group interventions for relatives were shown to be suitable for improving the course of disease in schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.