Intervention for relatives of patient with mental illness: Parent Training
Vaccaro A.(*), Ciappolino V. (**), Fanini F. (***), Rancati F. (****).
Comunità Crest - Teseo Milano
(*) Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist ; (**) Psychiatrist; (***) Psychologist ; (****) Sociologist, CEO Crest
Introduction
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.
Object
Parent Training (PT) is a psychoeducational program for relatives that has been
applied in Crest – Teseo Residential Mental Health Service in Milan, focused on
teaching basic knowledge and social skills training that can lead to a better
compliance between mental specialists and relatives and to a better quality of the
management of the mental illness in the family environment.
The psychoeducation integrate model underlines the importance of the behavioral
point of observation and the meaning of the training on communication and
problem solving abilities, especially in the matter of family contexts.
Method
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. Every lesson concerns a different subject:
multimodal model, psychopharmacology, assertiveness, aggressiveness and
agitation, learning, problem solving, legislation and legal protection about mental
disorders, assessment and rehabilitation project, TEACCH program, daily
abilities, social and relational skills.
•
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
Conclusion
We expect an important improvement in the relatives’ social abilities, which could lead
to a decrease in family burden, expressed emotion and depressive symptoms.
Moreover, after PT we suppose to notice a better cooperation between professionals
and relatives, as they become co-therapists in the treatment project of the psychotic
patient, supposing reduction of familiar stress and diminution/prevention of relapses
and hospitalization.
Bibliography
-Birgul O., Emine E., Saliha D. O., Gokmen Z., 2013. Effect of psychoeducation and telepsychiatric follow up given to the caregiver of the schizophrenic patient on family burden,
depression and expression of emotion. Pak J Med Sci Vol. 29 No. 5
--Sin J, Norman I., 2013. Psychoeducational interventions for family members of people with schizophrenia: a mixed-method systematic review. J Clin Psychiatry Dec;74(12): e1145-62.
-Vaccaro A. G., 2011. Libertà, autonomia. Indipendenza. Indicazioni e prassi per gli operatori della riabilitazione psicolsociale. Franco Angeli, Milano