title: Effectiveness of a mutual support group for families of patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper reports a study to examine the effectiveness of a 12-session mutual support group for Chinese families caring for a relative with schizophrenia compared with a psycho-educational group and routine family support services in Hong Kong.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia is a disruptive and distressing illness for patients and their families. With the current trend of community care for mental illness, there is evidence that family intervention reduces patient relapse and re-hospitalization, satisfies the health needs of families and enhances their coping capabilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial was conducted from May 2002 to June 2003 with 96 Chinese families of a relative with schizophrenia selected from two psychiatric outpatient clinics in Hong Kong. Families were randomly assigned to receive mutual support (n = 32), psycho-education (n = 33) or standard care only (n = 31). The interventions were delivered at outpatient clinics over a 6-month period. Pre- and post- (1 week and 6 months) testing took place and families' functioning, mental health service utilization, patients' level of functioning and duration of re-hospitalization were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At both post-test periods, family caregivers and patients in the mutual support group reported statistically significant improvements on family and patients' level of functioning, when compared with their counterparts in the psycho-education and standard care groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings support the use of mutual support groups as an effective modality of family intervention in a Chinese population caring for a family member with schizophrenia to improve both family and patient functioning.
authors.affiliation: The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. wtchien@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Wai Tong
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morrissey
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome