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Evaluation of a Peer‐Led Mutual Support Group for Chinese Families of People with Schizophrenia
Author(s) -
Chien Wai-Tong,
Thompson David R.,
Norman Ian
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/s10464-008-9178-8
Subject(s) - psychosocial , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , intervention (counseling) , health psychology , psychological intervention , psychiatry , peer support , social support , randomized controlled trial , clinical psychology , psychology , support group , medicine , public health , psychotherapist , nursing , surgery
Family interventions in schizophrenia have shown positive effects on patients but little attention has been paid to their effects on family members, particularly those in non‐Western countries. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of a bi‐weekly, 12‐session, family‐led mutual support group for Chinese caregivers of schizophrenia sufferers over 6 months compared with standard psychiatric care. It was conducted with 76 families of outpatients with schizophrenia in Hong Kong of whom 38 were assigned randomly to either a mutual support group or standard care. Families' psychosocial health status and patients' symptom severity and length of re‐hospitalizations at recruitment, one‐week and 12‐month post‐intervention were compared between groups. Results of repeated‐measures mixed model indicated that the mutual support group experienced significantly greater improvements in families' burden, functioning and number of support persons and length of patients' re‐hospitalizations at two post‐tests. The findings provide evidence that mutual support groups can be an effective family‐initiated, community‐based intervention for Chinese schizophrenia sufferers.