Problem-solving-based Bibliotherapy Program for Family Caregivers

Summary

This proposed randomized controlled trial will test the effectiveness of a problem-solving based bibliotherapy program (PSBBP) for Chinese family caregivers in psychotic disorders (not more than 5 years onset). A repeated-measures, three-group design will be used to evaluate and compare the effects between two treatment groups(PSBBP and psycho-education group) and routine outpatient service and family support (control group) for 198 randomly selected family caregivers of outpatients with psychotic disorders over a 24-month follow-up.

Before the 3-arm trial to be conducted, a pilot parallel-group randomised controlled trial with a similar study design to the later three-arm randomised controlled trial (Phase 2) will be conducted at one psychiatric outpatient clinic in Hong Kong. Receiving an additional funding from local government, another pilot two-arm trial will also be conducted for family caregivers of people with first-episode psychosis in the community to support and inform the 3-arm randomised controlled trial.

Conditions

• Schizophrenia
• Psychotic Disorders

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Self-learning program

The PSBBP in this study consists of 5 modules (Module 1: Caregiver's well-being; Module 2:Getting the best out of support services; Module 3:Well-being of the person with schizophrenia; Module 4:Dealing with the \[psychosocial\] effects of the illness; and Module 5:Dealing with \[physical and mental health\] effects of the illness), helping each caregiver from developing a positive attitude to caregiving, identifying caring related problems and obstacles, predicting positive and negative implications of each alternative, to trying out the solution and monitor if it worked.

BEHAVIORAL

Psycho-education program (in Phase 2)

The program consists of 12 two-hour sessions held weekly/biweekly completed in 5 months, with 4 main components, including 'introduction and goal setting'; 'an education workshop on mental illness, treatment and community services'; 'group exercises/rehearsals and discussion on symptom management, coping and self-care'; and 'review and future plan'.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Castle Peak Hospital

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Victoria

  collaborator OTHER

• Chinese University of Hong Kong

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Wai Tong CHIEN · The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-03-01

Primary Completion

2019-08-31

Completion

2020-08-30

Countries

• Hong Kong

Study Locations