Effect of brief psycho-education module on psychological wellbeing and family burden in caregivers of children with intellectual disability

Abstract

Background: The birth of a child with intellectual disabilities can disrupt family expectations and impose significant burdens on caregivers, leading to poor psychological well-being. Psycho-education has emerged as a promising intervention to support caregivers in managing these challenges.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a brief psychoeducation module on the psychological well-being and family burden of caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities. Methods: A pre-test, post-test design was employed with 20 caregivers recruited from the Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (RINPAS) in Kanke, Ranchi. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving both treatment as usual and the psychoeducation module, or a control group receiving only treatment as usual. The intervention comprised 10 sessions conducted over 10 weeks for the experimental group. Results:The study revealed no significant differences in the sociodemographic variables of caregivers and children between the experimental and control groups. However, the intervention had a positive impact on the psychological well-being of caregivers in the experimental group, particularly in areas such as autonomy, environmental mastery, positive relationships with others, and sense of purpose in life, compared to the control group. Although there were no significant differences in financial burden after psychoeducation, the experimental group demonstrated a significant reduction in disruptions to routine family activities, family leisure, and family interaction, accompanied by improvements in physical and mental health when compared to the control group. Conclusion:The brief psychoeducation module demonstrated significant improvements in caregivers' psychological well-being and family dynamics, underscoring its efficacy in supporting families of children with intellectual disabilities.