[Family psychoeducational interventions for schizophrenia in routine settings: impact on patients' clinical status and social functioning and on relatives' burden and resources].
OBJECTIVE
This study explored the effectiveness of a psychoeducational family intervention for schizophrenia on patients' clinical status and disability and relatives' burden and perceived support.


METHODS
The study has been carried out in 17 mental health centres. In each of them, 2 professionals were trained in a psychoeducational intervention and applied it for six months with families of users with schizophrenia. At baseline and six months later, patients' clinical status and disability, and relatives' burden, social network and professional support were assessed by validated tools.


RESULTS
Of the seventy-one recruited families, 48 (68%) completed the intervention. At six months, a significant improvement was found in patients' clinical status and social functioning, as well as in relatives' burden and social and professional support. In particular, the percentage of patients with poor or very poor global social functioning dropped from 50% to 27% at six months. Forty percent of patients and 45% of relatives reported a significant improvement in their social contacts over the intervention period.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study confirm the hypothesis that psychoeducational family interventions may have a significant effect on social outcome and family burden in schizophrenia when provided in routine conditions.
Magliano
Lorenza
L
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Università di Napoli SUN, Napoli. lorenza.magliano@unina2.it
Fiorillo
Andrea
A
Malangone
Claudio
C
De Rosa
Corrado
C
Favata
Grazia
G
Sasso
Annarita
A
Prezioso
Monica
M
Pezzenati
Laura
L
Gentile
Floralba
F
Casale
Lucetta
L
Bondi
Emi
E
Test
Giuseppina Robustelli
GR
Di Lella
Michele
M
Biscussi
Elisabetta
E
Degl'Innocent
Francesco
F
Bellini
Rossella
R
Di Nunzio
Rita
R
Matrella
Lucia
L
Salmeri
Rosa
R
Cantone
Rosario
R
Gargiulo
Luisa
L
Esposito
Aniello
A
Delcuratolo
Vincenzo
V
Giannini
Maria
M
Maresca
Luisa
L
Cavaliere
Giovanna
G
Scandone
Barbara
B
Folla
Matteo
M
Raffaeli
Mauro
M
Innocente
Paola
P
Dagianti
Flavia
F
Lucania
Stefania
S
Scorsino
Angela
A
Bardicchia
Francesco
F
Cerullo
Gennaro
G
Curreli
Riccardo
R
Miscali
Silvana
S
Scordato
Mario
M
Campo
Graziella
G
Maj
Mario
M
D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003710:Demography; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000191:economics*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012919:Social Behavior; D012944:Social Support