Discussion
Recent studies suggest that community-based family interventions for persons with schizophrenia or other serious mental illnesses are effective and efficient (3,4). However, few experimental studies have been undertaken of the effectiveness of this type of intervention as an adjunct to routine clinical care within the community mental health service system. The overall results for the six-month family support group intervention for schizophrenia reported here are encouraging and positive. The participants in the support group reported greater improvement in all three aspects of the patients' level of functioning, including self-maintenance, social functioning, and community living skills, as well as a significant reduction of patient rehospitalizations compared with the psychoeducation and standard care groups. This finding indicates the importance of peer support and empowerment among the families who, within a mutual support group, are able to feel themselves "all in the same boat" with fellow sufferers (2,11). This model of family intervention was provided in a flexible, interactive, and peer-led manner and therefore might be more feasible for community mental health services, where there are resource constraints and a requirement to match treatment models to family needs.
DiscussionRecent studies suggest that community-based family interventions for persons with schizophrenia or other serious mental illnesses are effective and efficient (3,4). However, few experimental studies have been undertaken of the effectiveness of this type of intervention as an adjunct to routine clinical care within the community mental health service system. The overall results for the six-month family support group intervention for schizophrenia reported here are encouraging and positive. The participants in the support group reported greater improvement in all three aspects of the patients' level of functioning, including self-maintenance, social functioning, and community living skills, as well as a significant reduction of patient rehospitalizations compared with the psychoeducation and standard care groups. This finding indicates the importance of peer support and empowerment among the families who, within a mutual support group, are able to feel themselves "all in the same boat" with fellow sufferers (2,11). This model of family intervention was provided in a flexible, interactive, and peer-led manner and therefore might be more feasible for community mental health services, where there are resource constraints and a requirement to match treatment models to family needs.
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