Family education for people with schizophrenia in Beijing, China

Abstract

Family education on schizophrenia by nurses in China was effective in improving knowledge and promoting improvement in patients' symptoms.

The effectiveness of mutual support group intervention for Chinese families of people with schizophrenia: A randomised controlled trial with 24-month follow-up

“…Family psycho-education is well accepted and widely used in the US (Dyck et al, 2002, McFarlane et al, 1995, other Western countries (Sellwood et al, 2001), and mainland China (Guo et al, 2010, Li and Arthur, 2005, Xiong et al, 1994; however, four systematic reviews on clinical trials of family intervention for people with schizophrenia (Asen, 2002, Bustillo et al, 2001, Pharoah et al, 2010 have concluded that this approach to family intervention can only produce a modest effect on family functioning and well-being, particularly in the longer term (e.g., >1 year). The findings of this study also revealed that psycho-education groups may not have a substantial effect on the health outcomes of both patients and their family members at 24 months after the intervention.…”

“…Based on three clinical trials of family interventions in Chinese people with schizophrenia (Chien et al, 2006, Chien et al, 2008, Li and Arthur, 2005, we estimated that 37 family dyads per intervention were required to provide 80% power(two-sided p<0.05) to detect a difference in family functioning change of 0.6 points with a standard deviation of 1.2, or a difference in change of re-hospitalisation rate of 1 (number of re-admissions over 12 months) with a standard deviation of 0.5, indicating a moderate effect size of 0.48 (i.e., the smallest effect size of the three clinical trials referred to on patient and family functioning, ranging from 0.48-0.60). From 520 family dyads (patient and caregiver) that met the criteria of the study, 135(26.0%) were randomly selected and allocated to the three study groups (i.e., 45 family dyads in each group), with an expected attrition rate of 20%.…”

“…Specific Chinese cultural characteristics were considered and discussed, including the stigma towards people with mental illness, and being aware of and accepting it. Also discussed were the open disclosure of intense feelings and family and individual health needs, the cultivating of interdependent and collective decisions and actions on caregiving tasks, and the emphasis on practical assistance and psychological support for the patient and family members (Bae and Kung, 2000, Chien et al, 2008, Li and Arthur, 2005.…”

“…With positive effects found in Caucasian populations, it is important to design and test a client-directed approach to family intervention for Chinese families of people with mental illness. It is also important to acknowledge culturally specific Chinese family values and processes such as extended and close ties and interdependence, collective identity and behaviours and strong traditional Chinese values relating to kindness, loyalty, filial piety, and harmony between family members, and hence utilise them in a group intervention (Chien et al, 2008, Li andArthur, 2005).…”

Lessons Learned From Research With Adolescents With Schizophrenia and Their Families

“…The focus of many prior studies, however, is on interventions for groups other than adolescents, including adults with schizophrenia (Barrowclough et al, 2001;Dyck, Hendryx, Short, Voss, & McFarlane, 2002;Dyck et al, 2000;Farooq et al, 2011;Li & Arthur, 2005), first episode psychosis (Agius, Shah, Ramkisson, Murphy, & Zaman, 2007;Breitborde et al, 2011), or recent-onset schizophrenia (Grawe, Falloon, Widen, & Skogvoll, 2006;Lenior, Dingemans, Linszen, de Haan, & Schene, 2001;Lenior, Dingemans, Schene, Hart, & Linszen, 2002). Studies of siblings of adolescents with schizophrenia also have been limited (Friedrich, Lively, & Rubenstein, 2008).…”