80. Effectiveness of a peer-led mutual support group for family caregivers of Chinese schizophrenia sufferers: Process and outcome evaluation (33)
Wai-Tong Chien, Associate Professor, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
wtchien@cuhk.edu.hk
Abstract:
Background:
Studies of common approaches of family interventions for people with schizophrenia have consistently shown improvements in patients’ medication and treatment compliance and their relapse rates. However, their effects on family health-related outcomes have been neither carefully examined nor consistently demonstrated.
Aims:
This research to evaluate the effects of a mutual support group for a sample of family caregivers of Chinese people with schizophrenia in Hong Kong on multiple psychosocial health outcomes of both family caregivers and patients and to identify the therapeutic factors influencing the success of the program.
Methods:
This was an evaluation research on a mutual support group program, using both a randomized controlled and a qualitative exploratory design. The 12-session support group for a randomized sample of 38 families was conducted over 6 months and their psychosocial outcomes were compared with another 38 families who received routine psychiatric care only, at recruitment and one week and 12 months after intervention. All group sessions and 30 interviews of the support group participants were audio-taped and content analyzed.
Results:
Results of repeated-measures MANOVA test showed that the mutual support group experienced significantly greater improvements in family functioning and patients’ relapse rate than the standard care group at two post-tests. The process data supported these statistical findings that the participants with regular attendance to the support group also reported more positive changes in caregiving attitudes and skills and family functioning and perceived social support and other benefits for group participation.
Conclusion:
The study provided evidences that mutual support group is an effective intervention to improve the psychosocial burden and functioning of families of schizophrenia sufferers in a Chinese population. The findings also added knowledge to therapeutic components of a family-led mutual support group.
Recommended reading list:
• Chien WT., Norman I, Thompson DR. A randomized controlled trial of a mutual support group for family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2004;41:637-49.
• Chien WT, Norman I, Thompson DR. Perceived benefits and difficulties experienced in a mutual support group for family carers of people with schizophrenia. Qualitative Health Research 2006;16:962-81.
Source of Funding: N/A
Amount in Funding: N/A
Biography:
Prof. Chien is Associate Professor of the Nethersole School of Nursing at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He obtained his PhD (Nursing) from the Florence Nightingale School of Midwifery and Nursing, King's College London in 2006. He has about 20 years' experience in psychiatric/mental health nursing and 10 years of experience in nursing education. He is now mainly teaching subjects related to mental health, and care of clients with psychiatric disorders and psychological problems. He has over 50 publications and has obtained competitive research grants over two million HK dollars. He is also an editorial adivisory board member and a reviewer of a few international refereed nursing and health care journals. He is currently involved in mental health research such as family intervention in schizophrenia and dementia, critically or mentally ill patients' educational needs, and quality of life of depressed elderly.