The Program of Parent Training in Residential Mental Health Services

Abstract

The patients are usually the unique focus of the treatment, even if the familiar environment shows problems connected to the management of the mental disease, which can lead to an unfavorable outcome of the patient’s treatment, besides difficulties in daily life.

Parent Training (PT) is a psychoeducational program for relatives that has been applied in Crest – Teseo Residential Mental Health Service in Milan to achieve important improvement in the relatives’ social abilities, which could lead to a decrease in family burden, expressed emotion and depressive symptoms.

We divide PT in two different parts: The Informative part, which provides for basic scientific information about psychiatric disorders and related integrated care intervention to a group of relatives from different families. The Formative part, where relatives of each family can directly learn and practice on techniques about assertiveness and coping strategies, in order to share better solutions with patient’s case manager.

Relatives become co-therapists in the treatment project of the psychotic patient, Parent Training is a good program for reduction of familiar stress and diminution/prevention of relapses and hospitalization.