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Caregiver psychoeducation for first-episode psychosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Stephen McWilliams*
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Patrick Egan
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Deirdre Jackson
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Laoise Renwick
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Sharon Foley
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Caragh Behan
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Emma Fitzgerald
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Alastair Fetherston
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Niall Turner
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Anthony Kinsella
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Eadbhard O’Callaghan
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, DETECT, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park Carysfort Avenue, Co. Dublin, Ireland Department of Psychiatry, University College Dublin, Donnybrook Dublin 4, Ireland
*
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +35312791700; fax: +35312791799. E-mail address: [email protected] (S. McWilliams).
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Abstract

Introduction

International best-practice guidelines for the management of first-episode psychosis have recommended the provision of psychoeducation for multifamily groups. While there is ample evidence of their efficacy in multiepisode psychosis, there is a paucity of evidence supporting this approach specifically for first-episode psychosis. We sought to determine whether a six-week caregiver psychoeducation programme geared specifically at first-episode psychosis improves caregiver knowledge and attitudes.

Methods

Caregivers of people with first-episode psychosis completed a 23-item adapted version of the self-report Family Questionnaire (KQ) and a 17-item adapted version of the self-report Drug Attitudes Inventory (DAI) before and after the six-week DETECT Information and Support Course (DISC). Using a Generalised Linear Repeated Measures Model, we analyzed the differences in proportions of correct answers before and after the programme.

Results

Over a 24-month study period, 31 caregivers (13 higher socioeconomic; 13 lower socioeconomic; five unspecified socioeconomic; 19 female; 12 male) participated in the DISC programme and completed inventories before and after the course. Knowledge of psychosis and specific knowledge of medication treatment improved among caregivers overall (p < .01; effect sizes 0.78 and 0.94 respectively). There were no significant gender or socioeconomic differences in any improvement.

Discussion

This study confirms that caregiver psychoeducation specifically for first-episode psychosis directly improves knowledge of the illness overall and, in particular, knowledge of medication. Gender is not a factor in this, while the lack of any socioeconomic differences dispels the myth that patients in lower socioeconomic groups are disadvantaged because their caregivers know less.

Type
Original articles
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2010

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