title: Effectiveness of family work interventions on schizophrenia: evidence from a multicentre study in Catalonia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite their proven efficacy, family work interventions on families of patients with schizophrenia are not being implemented in routine clinical practice in contexts where expressed emotion levels among caregivers are relatively high.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of a family work intervention in a Mediterranean environment in Catalonia, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 23 patients and 35 key relatives in five different clinical settings. The family intervention was provided by 10 trained health care professionals during a nine-month period. A six-month follow-up was also conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant improvements were found in patients' clinical status, global functioning and social functioning levels, as well as in caregivers' burden of care. These results were maintained during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to explore the effectiveness of family intervention in a high-expressed emotion context in Catalonia. The findings add weight to the growing literature supporting these interventions in different cultural settings.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Department, Parc Tauli Hospital, Barcelona, Spain. epousa@tauli.cat
authors.forename: Esther Pousa
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Tomás
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hurtado
authors.forename: Sílvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noguer
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Domènech
authors.forename: Montse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Maríacruz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Negredo
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Penadés
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reinares
authors.forename: Dolors
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: Montse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolz
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012919:Social Behavior; D013030:Spain; D055815:Young Adult