Intervention and usual care descriptions
illness
SECONDARY
The PARTNERS intervention was developed in line with the Medical Research Council's complex intervention guidance.In the trial, participants received the PARTNERS intervention for up to 12 months, including a 2-month transition period back to usual care. Participants in the intervention group and already under secondary care either had this care paused or the intensity was reduced according to a protocol specific to each NHS provider. Care partners came from a variety of backgrounds, including occupational therapists, social workers, nurses and support workers. They received 2–3 days of initial training, top-up training throughout the study, and supervision. Supervisors included mental health nurses and psychiatrists who received training in the PARTNERS model. The co-chief investigator (R.B.), an accredited GP with a special interest in mental health, provided cover for supervision during periods of illness or absence. Participants allocated to the control arm continued to receive usual care only, either within primary care only or also within secondary care.Fidelity of the delivery of intervention against the theoretical model was assessed through a comprehensive mixed-methods process evaluation. The proportion of time care partners were in post and numbers of sessions each individual attended with a care partner are reported in this paper.