Effectiveness of a mutual support group for families of patients with schizophrenia.
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.
Chien
Wai Tong
WT
The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. wtchien@cuhk.edu.hk
Chan
Sally
S
Morrissey
Jean
J
Thompson
David
D
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