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Evaluating the effectiveness of the Family Connections program for caregivers of youth with mental health challenges, part I: a quantitative analysis
- Authors:
- BORITZ Tali Z., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health Expectations, 24(2), 2021, pp.578-588. Online only
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Introduction: Caregivers of youth with mental health (MH) challenges are often faced with complex problems in relation to caring for their youth. Family Connections™ (FC) is a 12‐week skills training program for families of individuals with MH challenges, developed originally for Borderline Personality Disorder. Research is needed to examine the effectiveness of FC for caregivers of youth with diverse MH challenges. Objective: To examine the effectiveness of FC for caregivers of youth with MH challenges. Methods: A total of 94 caregivers of youth with MH challenges participated in FC, across three sites in Ontario, Canada. Assessments occurred at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks and follow‐up. Primary outcomes include the Burden Assessment Scale and The Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents. Secondary outcomes included the caregiver's report of child behaviour, affect, mastery, coping and grief. Linear mixed model analyses were conducted, where time and the time × site interaction were defined as the fixed effects. Results: Statistically significant improvements over time were observed across outcome measures, including caregiver burden, grief, coping, and other measures. The time × site interaction was only significant for burden (P = .005). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of FC for caregivers of youth with MH challenges. Future research should focus on differences across geographical sites and facilitation models. Patient or public contribution: Caregivers were involved in the facilitation of FC. A person with lived experience was involved in analysing the data, reporting the results, and drafting the manuscript. (Edited publisher abstract)
Evaluating the effectiveness of the Family Connections program for caregivers of youth with mental health challenges, part II: a qualitative analysis
- Authors:
- BORITZ Tali Z., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health Expectations, 24(2), 2021, pp.709-718. Online only
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: The Family Connections™ (FC) program is a 12‐week support and skill‐training program for caregivers of youth with mental health challenges. The intervention was originally developed with a focus on borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is important to understand the experiences of caregivers in such interventions, as well as its applicability beyond BPD, for the purposes of evaluation and ongoing program improvement. Objective: To explore and analyse the experiences of caregivers of youth with diverse mental health challenges and who participated in FC. Design: Semi‐structured interviews with thirteen FC‐participating caregivers of youth with mental health challenges. Results: Thematic analysis uncovered three major themes regarding caregivers' experience with FC: (a) FC increased the caregivers' ability to manage their youth's mental health challenges; (b) participating in FC impacted their intra‐ and interpersonal spheres; and (c) improvements to the program were proposed. Following participation in FC, caregivers felt they learned a new approach to understanding themselves, their youth and mental health, and were better able to manage their youth's mental health challenges. Discussion and conclusion: FC is a promising intervention for caregivers of youth with mental health challenges, beyond the traditional BPD focus. The intervention has the potential to provide broad‐based benefits for caregivers and should be considered for implementation and scale‐up across youth‐ and caregiver‐serving organizations. Potential areas of intervention flexibility and improvement are discussed. Patient/public contribution: Caregivers were involved in the program development and facilitation of FC. A person with lived experience was involved with the analysis. (Edited publisher abstract)
Developing and evaluating a psychoeducation program for caregivers of bipolar affective disorder patients: report of a pilot project
- Authors:
- BLAND Robert, HARRISON Christine
- Journal article citation:
- Research on Social Work Practice, 10(2), March 2000, pp.209-228.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Family caregivers of people with bipolar disorder experience a range of difficulties in understanding and coping with the impact of the disorder. The Family Support Team at a hospital in Australia developed an educational supportive programme for families of people with bipolar disorder that sought to improve caregiver knowledge of the illness, reduce caregiver distress and enhance caregiver coping. The programme also sought to moderate caregiver attributions of patient behaviour in order to build an illness perspective of behaviour. Analysis of results shows encouraging improvements for some families in knowledge, distress, attributions, and ways of coping. Practice and research implications include identifying differences with the schizophrenia programme, the importance of a problem solving focus, maintaining a balance between information giving and support, and timing of the intervention.
Intensive home care treatment teams: users' and carers' experiences of the service and the outcomes of care
- Authors:
- GODFREY Mary, TOWNSEND Jean
- Publisher:
- Nuffield Institute for Health Management
- Publication year:
- 1995
- Pagination:
- 75p.,bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
1st in a series of research studies on the South Leeds Mental Health Service.
Exploring the meaning of recovery for carers: implications for social work practice
- Authors:
- FOX Joanna, RAMON Shula, MORANT Nicola
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 45(S1), 2015, pp.i117-i134.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This paper describes the impact that learning about recovery has on mental health carers, exploring the implications of this research for UK social work and beyond. A steering group co-produced a training intervention on recovery that was delivered by the first author and a carer, both with experiences of recovery, to eleven carers. Mainly qualitative data, with supplementary socio-demographic data, were collected to evaluate the impact of this training. Thematic analysis was applied to the data. Findings suggest that being more ‘recovery-aware’ gives carers increased hope and optimism for the future. Awareness of the impact of caring upon the service user's life helps carers to promote recovery in their relative, and gain confidence in their own expertise-by-caring. Professional care is fundamental to recovery but needs to build on a partnership model. The carers evaluated the training as helpful, and valued its authenticity in being led by trainers with experience of recovery. Carers' expectations of professional practice are highlighted, with different approaches discussed that support effective carer involvement in their relative's care. Recognition of carers' expertise-by-caring demands a new approach to mental health care, with significant implications for British social work practice. (Publisher abstract)
Services to support carers of people with mental health problems: literature review report
- Authors:
- ARKSEY Hilary, et al
- Publisher:
- National Co-ordinating Centre for NHS Service Delivery and Organisation
- Publication year:
- 2002
- Pagination:
- 180p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This report provides a scoping review of evaluation studies of interventions and services to support carers of people with mental health problems. It discusses issues relating to the effectiveness and costeffectiveness of interventions and highlights where there are gaps in knowledge. The 204 studies included in the review were diverse and complex. Interventions were classified into 11 different groups: educational interventions of different types (36 per cent); breaks from caring (18 per cent); family interventions (10 per cent); mutual support and social activity groups (9 per cent); telephone and computer-based services (8 per cent); multidimensional approaches to caring interventions (7 per cent); counselling (4 per cent); domiciliary care services (2 per cent); physic al environment (1 per cent); services to support Carers of People with mental health problems; supporting carers through memory clinics (1 per cent); and miscellaneous (4 per cent).
Caring attitudes
- Author:
- ARKSEY Hilary
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 13.3.03, 2003, p.40.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Looks at the findings from a review of mental health carer support and the effectiveness of the services on offer. The review was carried out by the Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of York.
Accredited accommodation: an alternative to in-patient care in rural north Powys
- Authors:
- READHEAD C., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Psychiatric Bulletin, 26(7), July 2002, pp.264-265.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
Describes the Accredited Accommodation Scheme which provides a local alternative to in-patient care, for a targeted group of patients with enduring forms of mental illness. The scheme provides short-term adult fostering in a nurturing and homely environment.
Can a carer (peer) led psychoeducation programme improve mental health carers well-being, reduce burden and enrich empowerment: a service evaluation study
- Authors:
- CHIOCCHI John, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice, 14(2), 2019, pp.131-140.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: Carers of people with mental health problems present with high levels of burden, poor mental well-being and feelings of disempowerment by mental health services. The purpose of this paper is to establish whether providing a psychoeducation skill programme for carers would lead to an improvement of mental well-being, reduce the levels of burden that carers sometimes feel while caring for someone with mental illness and also to increase empowerment. This paper provides a service evaluation study of an innovative carer-led psychoeducational intervention that was undertaken. Design/methodology/approach: This programme was initiated and led by a carer who had experienced a lack of service provision to support carers and families in understanding and caring for a relative with severe and enduring mental health diagnoses. A model of co-production was adopted with the carer who led this initiative working closely with an occupational therapist and consultant psychologist in its development and delivery. Data were collected to measure the impact of the training at five different time points. The measures employed to measure outcomes were the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, the Burden Assessment Scale and Family Empowerment Scale. Findings: Results indicated improved well-being, reduced burden and increased family empowerment in carers who completed this peer-led carer initiative psychoeducational programme. Research limitations/implications: This service evaluation study was conducted in a single site and in the site in which it was developed. The carer consultant who led this evaluation and development of the intervention was also the peer worker who delivered the interventions. Hence, the authors are unable to ascertain if the results reported are unique to the individual peer worker. The transferability of this programme and generalisability of the result should therefore be treated with caution and further replication of this model and research is required. This would be beneficial to be conducted in an alternative site from where it was developed, delivered by different facilitators and include a control group. Practical implications: The evidence from this study indicates that carers are able and willing to attend a group psychoeducational programme. A high number of referrals to the programme in a relatively short timeframe indicates that there is significant demand for such a service. The implementation of the programme is relatively straightforward. The key challenges for practical implementation are to have the right carer to lead and deliver the programme and the right support system in place for them (financial and supervision). Co-production also is not without challenges, the peer worker and occupational staff need to ensure that mutually valued and respected working relationship should develop. Originality/value: This is the first evaluation of the impact of a carer-led psychoeducation intervention for carers of people with mental health difficulties in secondary mental health services. (Edited publisher abstract)
Evaluation of Re:Connect and Time and Space peer mentoring projects: April 2014-August 2017
- Authors:
- MacGREGOR Aisha, CAMERON Julie
- Publisher:
- Mental Health Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2018
- Pagination:
- 24
- Place of publication:
- London
Outlines the main findings an evaluation of a mental health carers peer mentoring project, which delivered peer mentoring services across two sites: RE: Connect in Glasgow and Time and Space in Stirling and Clackmannanshire. The project aimed to enable mental health carers receiving peer mentoring to be better supported and have better mental health and wellbeing, and for peer mentors have improved skills and wellbeing. It involved training for peer mentors, an outreach programme to promote the project to professionals and the general public, and learning events to raise profile of mental health carers. The evaluation draws on interviews and surveys conducted with mentees, mentors, volunteers, staff members, and referral agencies. It looks at the successes and challenges experienced by the project. Case studies also provide an insight into the experience and impact of peer mentoring for both mentors and mentees. It reports that over three years, 109 individuals engaged with the project across both sites as mentors (n= 53), mentees (n=44), or volunteers (n=12). The training provided was particularly successful and helped to strengthen confidence and prepare individuals for the mentoring role and mentees also valued being supported by someone who had occupied a caring role. Challenges included the recruitment of mentees, despite direct advertising and outreach work. Overall, the project was successful, demonstrating the potential of the peer mentoring model for future provision. (Edited publisher abstract)