title: The Melbourne Family Support Program: evidence-based strategies that prepare family caregivers for supporting palliative care patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A key component of palliative care is support for family caregivers. Although some family caregivers identify positive aspects, the impact is typically burdensome; they are prone to physical and psychological morbidity, financial disadvantage and social isolation. Outcomes of systematic reviews have highlighted the importance of investment in family caregiver intervention research.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To provide an overview of the development, evaluation and outcomes arising from of a programme of research (The Melbourne Family Support Program (FSP)), which focused on reducing the psychosocial burden of family caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Developmental work involved a systematic literature review; focus groups with family caregivers and health professionals; and identification of a conceptual framework. Following a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT), a programme of psychoeducational intervention studies was developed and tested; one via RCT, the others via prepost test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four psychoeducational interventions, incorporating one-to-one and group format delivery, conducted in both the home and inpatient hospital/hospice were evaluated. Statistically significant outcomes included improvements in family caregivers' preparedness, competence, positive emotions, more favourable levels of psychological wellbeing and a reduction in unmet needs. Internationally endorsed guidelines for the psychosocial support of family caregivers were produced and several resources were constructed. Fifteen publications in international peer-reviewed journals have arisen from this programme.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The interventions and resources from the Melbourne FSP provide several evidenced-based and clinically relevant approaches that focus on reducing the psychosocial burden of the caregiving role. In several instances, however, more rigorous methodological testing is advocated.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Palliative Care, c/o St Vincent's Hospital & Collaborative Centre of The University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia School of Nursing, Queens University, Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.affiliation: Cancer Services and Information, Cancer Institute of NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Sanchia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aranda
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Family caregivers; interventions; palliative; psychological; support