title: Social problem solving in carers of young people with a first episode of psychosis: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Caring for young people with first-episode psychosis is difficult and demanding, and has detrimental effects on carers' well-being, with few evidence-based resources available to assist carers to deal with the problems they are confronted with in this situation. We aimed to examine if completion of a self-directed problem-solving bibliotherapy by first-time carers of young people with first-episode psychosis improved their social problem solving compared with carers who only received treatment as usual.
  
  
  
  A randomized controlled trial was carried out through two early intervention psychosis services in Melbourne, Australia. A sample of 124 carers were randomized to problem-solving bibliotherapy or treatment as usual. Participants were assessed at baseline, 6- and 16-week follow-up.
  
  
  
  Intent-to-treat analyses were used and showed that recipients of bibliotherapy had greater social problem-solving abilities than those receiving treatment as usual, and these effects were maintained at both follow-up time points.
  
  
  
  Our findings affirm that bibliotherapy, as a low-cost complement to treatment as usual for carers, had some effects in improving their problem-solving skills when addressing problems related to the care and support of young people with first-episode psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Chronic Disease, College of Health and Biomedicine (Discipline of Nursing), Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Terence V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: McCann
authors.affiliation: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, and Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Sue M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cotton
authors.affiliation: Turning Point, Eastern Health and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Dan I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Lubman
mesh_terms: D001638:Bibliotherapy; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: carer; first-episode psychosis; problem solving; self-help manual