A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Caregiver-Facilitated Problem-Solving Based Self-Learning Program for Family Carers of People with Early Psychosis

Wai Tong Chien, Daniel Bressington, Dan I. Lubman and Thanos Karatzias
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Wai Tong Chien: The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Daniel Bressington: College of Nursing and Midwifery, Charles Darwin University, 1 Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina NT810, Australia
Dan I. Lubman: Addiction and Behavioral Research, Eastern Health School, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
Thanos Karatzias: School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, UK

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 24, 1-19

Abstract: Facilitated self-help and problem-solving strategies can empower and support family carers to cope with caregiving for people with severe mental illnesses. This single-blind multi-site randomised controlled trial examined the effects of a five-month family-facilitated problem-solving based self-learning program (PBSP in addition to usual care), versus a family psychoeducation group program and usual psychiatric care only in recent-onset psychosis, with a six-month follow-up. In each of three study sites (integrated community centres for mental wellness), 114 people with early psychosis (≤5 years illness onset) and their family carers were randomly selected and allocated to one of three study groups ( n = 38). Caregiving burden (primary outcome) and patients’ and carers’ health conditions were assessed at recruitment, and one-month and six-months post-intervention. Overall, 106 (94.7%) participants completed the assigned intervention and ≥1 post-test. Generalised estimating equations and subsequent contrast tests indicated that the PBSP participants showed significantly greater improvements in carers’ burden, caregiving experiences and problem-solving ability, and patients’ psychotic symptoms, recovery, and duration of re-hospitalisations over the six-month follow-up, compared with the other two groups (moderate to large effect size, η 2 = 0.12–0.24). Family-assisted problem-solving based self-learning programs were found to be effective to improve both psychotic patients’ and their carers’ psychosocial health over a medium term, thus reducing patients’ risk of relapse.

Keywords: problem solving; psychoeducation; randomised controlled trial; psychosis; self-learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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