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Severe Mental IllnessNCT05620212

Investigating the Meaning and (Cost-)Effectiveness of Dutch Recovery Colleges

An observational study of Severe Mental Illness and Mental Vulnerabilities, run by Tilburg University at 4 sites in Netherlands.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Recovery colleges (RC) aim to promote the recovery of people who experience mental vulnerabilities. Rather than facilitating treatment of illness (as regular mental health care services [MHCS] do), RCs are learning environments, with a special focus on peer support and co-creation. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Severe Mental Illness, Mental Vulnerabilities
What is being tested?
Recovery College participation
How many people
142 participants
Where
4 sitesNetherlands
Study dates
17 Mar 2022to 31 Jan 2025
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: RC population (RC Group): Partakers in any way from these four Recovery Colleges: Enik Recovery College, Fameus, Korak, Herstelacademie Haarlem en Meer. PPG population (Control Group): National panel for which participants are recruited via mental health care facilities and Regional Institutes for Protected Living (RIPLs).

Who may be able to join

  • For RC group: needs to attend one of the four participating RCs regularly, at least more than once.
  • Needs to experience severe mental illness/psychological vulnerabilities (both self-reported or officially diagnosed).
  • Needs to master the Dutch language to sufficient extent to understand the surveys.
  • Is 18 years or older.

Who cannot join

  • For the RC group: does not attend one of the four participating RCs regularly.
  • Does not experience severe mental illness/psychological vulnerabilities.
  • Does not master the Dutch language to a sufficient extent.
  • Is younger than 18 years old.
  • For the control group (PPG): attends an RC regularly, but not one of the four participating RCs. If an existing PPG member attends one of the four participating RCs regularly, they are allocated to the RC group.

Trial locations and contacts

4 sites in 1 country.

Netherlands4 sites

  • Korak

    Apeldoorn

  • Herstelacademie Haarlem en Meer

    Haarlem

  • Fameus

    Tilburg

  • Enik Recovery College

    Utrecht

Other trials in Netherlands

About this study

Recovery colleges (RC) aim to promote the recovery of people who experience mental vulnerabilities. Rather than facilitating treatment of illness (as regular mental health care services [MHCS] do), RCs are learning environments, with a special focus on peer support and co-creation. While MHCS are founded on scientific and professional knowledge, RCs value the knowledge and abilities of those with lived experiences as such. By sharing experiences, RC attendees can inspire and support each other (hence 'peer support') and they can use their experiences to contribute to the educational program (hence 'co-creation'). In the Netherlands RCs are 100% peer run, meaning that no mental health care workers are involved.

Despite promising premature findings on the effectiveness of RC attendance (e.g., positive impacts on MHCS use, mental wellbeing and functioning, quality of life, empowerment and more), large, controlled studies are extremely scarce. Furthermore, the way RCs are managed in the Netherlands seems to differ from the RCs that have been studied before. While RCs in some countries are a coproduction of peers and mental health practitioners, RCs in the Netherlands are 100% peer run, although they are usually hosted by MHCS. In turn, this research project aims to investigate the (cost-)effectiveness of RCs in the Netherlands. In terms of effectiveness, we expect that RC attendance improves feelings of empowerment. Besides, we investigate impacts on quality of life, mental health, loneliness, satisfaction with treatment and support and self-stigma. We also determine the cost-effectiveness of Dutch RCs.

Read the detailed description

This quantitative study is part of a larger research project that entails qualitative analysis of:

  • the meaning of Enik RC for its partakers (the first RC established in the Netherlands in 2015);
  • the position that RCs can and should have in the Dutch MHCS landscape;
  • a fidelity measure to define the core elements of Dutch RCs and to obtain an overview of the available initiatives in the Netherlands

The research project is executed in close collaboration with co-researchers who are partakers of Enik RC. The findings of the pre-registered quantitative study will be evaluated and contextualized in co-creation as such.

NOTE: The Observational Study Model is both Cohort (monitoring for a period of 2 years) and Case-Control (comparing RC partakers with non-partakers).

NOTE: Enik Recovery College has 7 established locations in the region of Utrecht at the time of our recruitment. All are included.

NOTE: Fameus has 4 established locations (Breda 2x, Tilburg, Roosendaal). All are included.

NOTE: This study is conducted both by Tilburg University (Department Tranzo) and Trimbos-institute (Department of Reintegration and Community Care) as primary organizations. The PI is also affiliated with both.

NOTE. The aimed sample size at t0 is N=120 in the RC condition. So 120 partakers of RCs will be matched with members from the PPG.

Being tested
Recovery College participation
Keywords
Recovery Colleges, Empowerment, Severe Mental Illness, Recovery, Effectiveness, Cost-effectiveness
Medical subject headings
Mental Disorders, Empowerment

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Recovery College participationBehavioural

    Recovery College participation in any way (visitors, course/retreat participants, volunteers, employees).

Study groups in NCT05620212
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
RC GroupRecovery College partakers in any way (see description of intervention).
Receives: Behavioral: Recovery College participation
Control GroupParticipants with similar mental health profile as RC group, but do not participate in an RC. These participants are sampled from the Panel Psychisch Gezien (PPG), monitored by the Trimbos-institute.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Empowerment

    Operationalized by means of four subscales (Confidence and Purpose, Connectedness, Self-management and Professional help) of the Netherlands Empowerment List.

    Source: Boevink, W., Kroon, H., Delespaul, P., \& Van Os, J. (2016). Empowerment according to persons with severe mental illness: development of the Netherlands empowerment list and its psychometric properties. Open Journal of Psychiatry, 7(1), 18-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojpsych.2017.71002

    Measured: t0 = baseline, t1= 1 year later, t2 = 2 years later.

Secondary outcomes (5)

  1. Change in Quality of Life (effectiveness)

    Operationalized by means of the Maastricht QoL Scale. Source: Drukker, M., Bak, M., à Campo, J., Driessen, G., Van Os, J., \& Delespaul, P. (2010). The cumulative needs for care monitor: a unique monitoring system in the south of the Netherlands. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 45(4), 475-485. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00127-009-0088-3.pdf

    Measured: t0 = baseline, t1= 1 year later, t2 = 2 years later.

  2. Change in Mental Health (effectiveness)

    Operationalized by means of the MHI-5 scale. Source: Rumpf, H. J., Meyer, C., Hapke, U., \& John, U. (2001). Screening for mental health: validity of the MHI-5 using DSM-IV Axis I psychiatric disorders as gold standard. Psychiatry research, 105(3), 243-253. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-1781(01)00329-8

    Measured: t0 = baseline, t1= 1 year later, t2 = 2 years later.

  3. Change in Loneliness (effectiveness)

    Operationalized by means of the DeJong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Source: De Jong-Gierveld, J., \& Van Tilburg, T. (1990). Manual of the loneliness scale. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Vrije Universiteit.

    Measured: t0 = baseline, t1= 1 year later, t2 = 2 years later.

  4. Change in Satisfaction with Treatment and Support (effectiveness)

    Operationalized by means of an inventory adapted from Nivel. Source: Menting, J. De Zorgmonitor - Nationaal Panel Chronisch zieken en Gehandicapten. Uit: www.nivel.nl [Laatst gewijzigd op 18-03-2021; geraadpleegd op 30-08-2022]. URL: https://www.nivel.nl/nl/nationaal-panel-chronisch-zieken-en-gehandicapten/de-zorgmonitor

    Measured: t0 = baseline, t1= 1 year later, t2 = 2 years later.

  5. Change in Self-stigma (effectiveness)

    Operationalized by means of the ISMI-10 scale. Source: Boyd, J. E., Otilingam, P. G., \& DeForge, B. R. (2014). Brief version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale: Psychometric properties and relationship to depression, self esteem, recovery orientation, empowerment, and perceived devaluation and discrimination. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 37(1), 17-23. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000035

    Measured: t0 = baseline, t1= 1 year later, t2 = 2 years later.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Nov 2022
  2. Study start17 Mar 2022
  3. Primary completion31 Jan 2025
  4. Study completion31 Jan 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
142 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05620212
Sponsor's protocol ID
TSB_RP390
Status last verified
Apr 2025
First submitted
27 Oct 2022
Last updated
13 Aug 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes

Publications

  • van Wezel MMC, Smits RLA, Muusse C, Wijnen BFM, van de Mheen D, Slade M, Henderson C, Kroon H. Effectiveness of Recovery Colleges: A Nonrandomised Clinical Trial Across Two Years Using Propensity Score Matching: Efficacite des colleges de retablissement: essai clinique non randomise sur deux ans utilisant l'appariement par score de propension. Can J Psychiatry. 2026 Sep;71(9):712-733. doi: 10.1177/07067437261449914. Epub 2026 May 14.

    PubMed 42132738

  • van Wezel MMC, Muusse C, van de Mheen D, Wijnen B, den Hollander W, Kroon H. What do we not know (yet) about recovery colleges? A study protocol on their (cost-)effectiveness, mechanisms of action, fidelity and positioning. BMC Psychiatry. 2023 Nov 8;23(1):816. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05293-8.

    PubMed 37940915

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Severe Mental Illness and Mental Vulnerabilities, run by Tilburg University at 4 sites in Netherlands.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 4 sites in Netherlands. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Empowerment (time frame: t0 = baseline, t1= 1 year later, t2 = 2 years later.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05620212, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Aug 2025.

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