Outcomes and change processes of an established family education program for carers of adults diagnosed with a serious mental health condition

The effect of group psychological training on the attitude of family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia

Background and aim

Mental disorders are among the most common diseases in the world. Not only the lack of social support and health services but also the social stigma surrounding individuals with mental disorders and their family members has exacerbated the difficulty of living with and caring for these patients. The present study aimed to determine the effect of group psychological training on the attitudes of family caregivers taking care of patients with schizophrenia as a common mental disorder.

Materials and methods

This interventional study was conducted on 60 caregivers of patients with schizophrenia who had a history of hospitalization in the psychiatric ward of Imam Reza Hospital of Birjand in 2020. The intervention group attended eight 90-minute sessions of psychological training in four weeks. However, the control group received no educational intervention during the study period. the opinions about mental illness scale (OMI) modified by Cohen and Struening was used to collect data before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS₁₆ by running descriptive statistics, Chi-square, independent t-test, and paired t-test at the significance level of 0.05.

Results

The mean scores of attitudes toward mental illness were not significantly different between the intervention (87.37 ± 15.51) and control (89.48 ± 14.08) groups before the intervention (P > 0.05). However, the mean scores of the intervention group (156.44 ± 10.09) increased significantly compared to the mean scores of the control group (88.4 ± 16.15) followed by the intervention (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

According to the study results, psychological group training is effective in improving the attitudes of family caregivers of schizophrenic patients. So, it can be applied method of this study as simple, low-cost, and effective in improving the life quality of schizophrenic patients and their families.

Correlation Between Post-operative Sense of Coherence and Family Function in Patients With Type A Aortic Dissection

Objective

To analyze the relationship between post-operative sense of coherence and family function in patients with type A aortic dissection (AD).

Methods

Ninety patients with AD treated from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected as the research subjects. All patients received surgical treatments. Two weeks after the operation, the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13) and Family APGAR index scale (APGAR) were used to evaluate the patients' sense of coherence and family function. Baseline data of all patients were collected, the SOC-13 scores of patients with type A AD with different demographic characteristics were compared, and the relationship between family function and patients' sense of coherence was analyzed.

Results

The ninety patients with type A AD had a low level of psychological consistency, and the average SOC-13 score was 49.84 ± 3.89 points. The SOC-13 score of patients with type A AD with family monthly incomes <5,000 yuan and moderate and severe family dysfunction was lower than that of patients with family monthly incomes ≥5,000 yuan and good family function. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the SOC-13 scores of patients with type A AD with different demographic characteristics (P > 0.05). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that family monthly income <5,000 yuan and moderate and severe family dysfunction might be general influencing factors of sense of coherence among patients with type A AD (P < 0.05). Y = 43.333 + 6.667X₁ + 16.730X₂ was obtained.

Conclusion

The post-operative sense of coherence of patients with type A AD may be affected by family function.