Objective: The objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of the existing psycho-educational material (The Alliance Programme) for patients suffering from schizophrenia in the South African context. Method: A qualitative research approach was used. Fifteen Setswana speaking participants, with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were exposed to the programme. Semi-structured and screening interviews were used to collect demographic and clinical data. The participants were divided into two groups and were exposed to either the Alliance Programme or on adapted version of the programme. Participatory communication instruments including focus groups, were used to assess comprehension and knowledge retention of the material over time. Results: Participants who were exposed to the original Alliance Programme experienced the contents of the programme to be technical, difficult to read or recall. They were unable to relate their previous symptoms to the psycho-education given. Participants who were exposed to the adapted version faired much better, gained more insight and were able to relate better to their illnesses. Participants preferred booklets with examples and illustrations, video clips and films over formal lectures. Conclusion: Psycho-education material given to people suffering from schizophrenia and their caregivers has to be adapted to their context to be effective.

In touch with reality Thus far very little research into the psycho-education of patients and their families has been conducted in the South African setting. The result of this is that South Africa's mental health services have not adapted to the South African context. 6 Information about diseases is often communicated without taking the specific environment and target audiences into account. Historically, communication theories and practices excluded the target audience from the design and production of the message. 1 This led to a one-way mode of communication. 7 Participatory communication theory on the other hand argues that the point of departure should be the community or the target audience. Such an audience participation based approach creates a circular dialogue where the audience is the sender as well as the receiver of information. 8 Method • The Rationale for Qualitative Studies Qualitative methods are useful for areas of research that are poorly understood, ill-defined and for which controls cannot easily be devised. In this study it was attempted to understand the participants' subjective experiences. Phenomenology acknowledges that a person's "life world" is a social, cultural and historical product, as well as a pole of individual subjectivity. 9 • Data collection instruments Data collection instruments used, included screening interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation.