Psychoeducational program for caregivers of schizophrenic patients

Caring for patient with chronic mental illness imposes different types of burdens among family members; those who have inadequate preparation and services render to them. This book examined the effectiveness of a psychoeducational program on burdens and coping methods among family caregivers of chronic schizophrenic patient. The program was conducted at the out patient department in El Abassia Mental Health Hospital. A quasi- experimental design (pre/ post and follow-up ) was used. The author selected 40 chronic schizophrenic patients with their family caregivers, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria for both, they were equally assigned randomly to a control and study groups. The program including 12 sessions for study group over six months. The designed educational program helped family caregivers through providing efficient knowledge related to relatives' illness, teaching and practicing new skills as communication, and more adaptive coping strategies to reduce caregivers' burdens. This book showed the effectiveness of this designed program on reducing family burdens, improve their coping abilities.