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Does psychoeducation influence carers' attitudes to treatment of schizophrenia?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Stephen McWilliams ,
Shane Hill ,
Nora Mannion ,
Anthony Kinsella  and
Eadbhard O'Callaghan
Stephen McWilliams
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, 1 Marine Terrace, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland
Shane Hill
Affiliation:
Cluain Mhuire Service, Stillorgan, Co Dublin, Ireland
Nora Mannion
Affiliation:
Cluain Mhuire Service, Stillorgan, Co Dublin, Ireland
Anthony Kinsella
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, 1 Marine Terrace, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland
Eadbhard O'Callaghan
Affiliation:
DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, 1 Marine Terrace, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland
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Abstract

Objective: To measure the impact of a six-week Carer Psychoeducation Program (CPP) on factors that influence attitudes towards treatment among carers and relatives of people suffering from schizophrenia. We also examined which specific attitudes to treatment the CPP had the most effect on.

Method: Between 2002 and 2004, all patients and their relatives continued standard care. During this period, we conducted a historically-controlled open trial, in which 64 relatives completed a 17-item adapted version of the Drug Attitudes Inventory (DAI) before and after the CPP.

Results: Attitudes to treatment improved significantly overall (p < 0.001), an improvement most marked in terms of attitudes to health and illness, attitudes towards the physician and attitudes towards the potentially harmful effects of treatment. No statistically significant improvement was found, however, in attitudes to locus of control or the preventative role of treatment.

Conclusion: A CPP specifically improves family attitudes towards treatment. This finding is clinically important because such attitudes influence adherence which, in turn, influences outcome. The fact that certain attitudes are influenced by the CPP, while others are not, may help to explain the mechanism through which patient outcomes improve.

Keywords

Schizophreniapsychosiscarerpsychoeducationmedicationattitudesadherencehealth and illnessphysicianlocus of controlpreventionharm
Type
Brief Reports
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , March 2007 , pp. 27 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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