Community Based Family Responsive Psycho-Education
Principal Investigator: David Pollio, PhD
Funder: National Institute of Mental Health (1 R24 MH 59217)
Timeframe: Funded 02/99-6/04
Affiliation: Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR)
Project Staff: Carol North, MD, MPE, Co-PI and Sarah Hunter, BA, Project Coordinator
Participating Organizations: National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) of
St. Louis
Jewish Children & Family Services
Project Contact: Sarah Hunter, BA, Coordinator, Office Phone: (314) 935-7582
E-mail: shunter@wustl.edu
Project Update as of 10/14/04:
Stage: Implementation of this project is completed. Twelve groups were run. Preliminary results at one-year post-intervention are promising, and analyses are ongoing.Forthcoming, In Press, or Published Papers:
Pollio, D.E., North, C.S., Osborne, V., Kap, N., & Foster, D.A. (2001). The impact of psychiatric diagnosis and family system relationship on content in psychoeducation. Family Process,40(2), 199-209.North, C.S., Pollio, D.E., Sachar, B., Hong, B., Isenberg, K., & Bufe, G. (1998). The family as caregiver for schizophrenia: A group psychoeducation model. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,68(1), 39-47.
Pollio, D.E., North, C.S., & Foster, D.E. (1998). Content and curriculum in multifamily psychoeducation. Psychiatric Services,49(6), 816-822.
Description: Research shows that families with a member who is living with a severe mental illness in clinical care consistently experience robust gains from participation in psychoeducation groups. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a Family Responsive Psychoeducation Group (FRPG) model in community settings. Starting with 210 families recruited at regional workshops, families were randomly assigned to either a professionally-led FPRG or a volunteer-led comparison group run by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) of St. Louis. Surveys of ill family members examined the impact of each type of family education on symptoms, medication adherence, service use, and quality of life. Surveys of other family members examined the impact of family education on family burden and coping skills, social support, costs, and well-being. This project resulted in the development and empirical validation of this community educational model.