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Adherence to schizophrenia port family treatment recommendations
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~'l' INFORMAL CAREGIVERS AND SCHIZOPHRENIA: A PILOT STUDY N. Dharwadkar, J. Kulkarni Academic Unit. Dandenong Hospital. Dept. Psychological Medicine. Monash University. 134 Cleeland Street. Dandenong, Victoria3175. Australia A pilot study was undertaken to assess the differences in burden of care between carers of inpatients suffering from schizophrenia and to assess the differences between female and male carers. The sample consisted of 14 patients with diagnosis of schizophrenia and carers. The patients were assessed using the PANSS. Their carers were assessed using the GHQ. Female carers had a significantly higher burden of care compared to males (t=2.57, p=0.025). There was no significant difference in the GHQ score as related to the sex of the patient (t= -0.04, p=0.973). It was interesting to note that there was no significant linear correlation between the burden of care and the severity of symptoms (r= -0.0075. p=O.980). The delivery of servicesare relevant to the impact of caregiving on the carer. The effectiveplanning of mental health services for caregivers should include a partnership between caregivers and health professionals including the provision of a structured program geared towards providing information, problem solving and emotional support to the vulnerable group.
en ADHERENCE TO SCHIZOPHRENIA PORT FAMILY TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Lisa Dixon, Jack Scott, Alan Lyles, Maureen Fahey, Ann Skinner, Andrew Shore University of Maryland. DepartmentofPsychiatry. 685 W BaltimoreSt. MSTF/Room 300. Baltimore. MD21201. USA The Schizophrenia PORT literature review provides the basis for the following recommendation on family interventions: Patients who have ongoing contact with their families should be offered a family psychosocial intervention which provides a combination of education about the illness. family support. crisis intervention. and problem solving skills training. Primary and secondary data reveal probable poor compliance with this recommendation in clinical practice. Less than one percent of persons with schizophrenia on Medicare in 1991 received a family therapy service. Younger persons were more likely to receive this service. Of persons with schizophrenia in Georgia who have Medicaid (N=9934), 7.4% received a family therapy service. Younger, Caucasian and male patients were more likely to receive a family service. A sample of directly interviewed treated schizophrenia patients in Georgia and Ohio (N=719)
revealed that only 30% of their families had received information about mental illness. Patients who were younger, with more education, and referred from the community rather than the hospital were more likely to report receiving family education. Dissemination efforts suggested that the most important obstacles to implementation perceived by a group of Ohio providers was uncertainty about agency and intervention funding.
e,7f QUALITY OF SUBJECfIVE LIFE EXPERIENCE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA· SPECTRUM DISORDERS Sharon G. Dott, David P. Walling DepartmentofPsychiatryand Behavioral Sciences. University of Texas Medical Branch. Galveston. Texas 77555-0428. USA Quality of life (QOL) is an increasingly important issue in the treatment of individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The increased focus on QOL results from many recent factors including the advent of novel pharmacotherapies, increased presence of the severe mentally ill in community treatment, and a focus on patient rights and issues. This paper examines subjective life enjoyment in individual's diagnosed with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The purpose of this research was to assess subjects ability to recognize symptom improvement, reliability in responding to subjective questioning, and to evaluate change over time. QOL was measured using the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Scale (Q-LES-Q), a sixty-item scale measuring satisfaction with five different life domains. All subjects (n-66) were assessed upon admission and discharge from either a psychiatric hospital or a community crisis facility. Subjects were diagnosed with either schizophrenia (n-40) or schizoaffective disorder (n-26). Results suggest the internal consistency of the Q-LES-Q (Cronbach's alpha=0.957) when used with this population. Additionally, subjects were relatively consistent in recognizing improvement over time based on analysis of pre/post scores. The data presented, along with ongoing factor analytic studies, suggest the efficacy of the Q-LES-Q for accurately assessing QOL in severe mentally ill populations.
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PREDICTING REHABILITATION OUTCOME IN SCHIZOPHRENIA Andrew Ferdinandi, Ph.D., Simcha Pollack, Ph.D.,
Paul C. Bermanzohn, M.D. QueensDay Center.87-80 Merrick Blvd. Jamaica. N. Y. 11432. USA Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Rehabilitation Readiness Assessment
~'l' INFORMAL CAREGIVERS AND SCHIZOPHRENIA: A PILOT STUDY N. Dharwadkar, J. Kulkarni Academic Unit. Dandenong Hospital. Dept. Psychological Medicine. Monash University. 134 Cleeland Street. Dandenong, Victoria3175. Australia A pilot study was undertaken to assess the differences in burden of care between carers of inpatients suffering from schizophrenia and to assess the differences between female and male carers. The sample consisted of 14 patients with diagnosis of schizophrenia and carers. The patients were assessed using the PANSS. Their carers were assessed using the GHQ. Female carers had a significantly higher burden of care compared to males (t=2.57, p=0.025). There was no significant difference in the GHQ score as related to the sex of the patient (t= -0.04, p=0.973). It was interesting to note that there was no significant linear correlation between the burden of care and the severity of symptoms (r= -0.0075. p=O.980). The delivery of servicesare relevant to the impact of caregiving on the carer. The effectiveplanning of mental health services for caregivers should include a partnership between caregivers and health professionals including the provision of a structured program geared towards providing information, problem solving and emotional support to the vulnerable group.
en ADHERENCE TO SCHIZOPHRENIA PORT FAMILY TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Lisa Dixon, Jack Scott, Alan Lyles, Maureen Fahey, Ann Skinner, Andrew Shore University of Maryland. DepartmentofPsychiatry. 685 W BaltimoreSt. MSTF/Room 300. Baltimore. MD21201. USA The Schizophrenia PORT literature review provides the basis for the following recommendation on family interventions: Patients who have ongoing contact with their families should be offered a family psychosocial intervention which provides a combination of education about the illness. family support. crisis intervention. and problem solving skills training. Primary and secondary data reveal probable poor compliance with this recommendation in clinical practice. Less than one percent of persons with schizophrenia on Medicare in 1991 received a family therapy service. Younger persons were more likely to receive this service. Of persons with schizophrenia in Georgia who have Medicaid (N=9934), 7.4% received a family therapy service. Younger, Caucasian and male patients were more likely to receive a family service. A sample of directly interviewed treated schizophrenia patients in Georgia and Ohio (N=719)
revealed that only 30% of their families had received information about mental illness. Patients who were younger, with more education, and referred from the community rather than the hospital were more likely to report receiving family education. Dissemination efforts suggested that the most important obstacles to implementation perceived by a group of Ohio providers was uncertainty about agency and intervention funding.
e,7f QUALITY OF SUBJECfIVE LIFE EXPERIENCE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA· SPECTRUM DISORDERS Sharon G. Dott, David P. Walling DepartmentofPsychiatryand Behavioral Sciences. University of Texas Medical Branch. Galveston. Texas 77555-0428. USA Quality of life (QOL) is an increasingly important issue in the treatment of individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The increased focus on QOL results from many recent factors including the advent of novel pharmacotherapies, increased presence of the severe mentally ill in community treatment, and a focus on patient rights and issues. This paper examines subjective life enjoyment in individual's diagnosed with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The purpose of this research was to assess subjects ability to recognize symptom improvement, reliability in responding to subjective questioning, and to evaluate change over time. QOL was measured using the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Scale (Q-LES-Q), a sixty-item scale measuring satisfaction with five different life domains. All subjects (n-66) were assessed upon admission and discharge from either a psychiatric hospital or a community crisis facility. Subjects were diagnosed with either schizophrenia (n-40) or schizoaffective disorder (n-26). Results suggest the internal consistency of the Q-LES-Q (Cronbach's alpha=0.957) when used with this population. Additionally, subjects were relatively consistent in recognizing improvement over time based on analysis of pre/post scores. The data presented, along with ongoing factor analytic studies, suggest the efficacy of the Q-LES-Q for accurately assessing QOL in severe mentally ill populations.
~"'Zcr
PREDICTING REHABILITATION OUTCOME IN SCHIZOPHRENIA Andrew Ferdinandi, Ph.D., Simcha Pollack, Ph.D.,
Paul C. Bermanzohn, M.D. QueensDay Center.87-80 Merrick Blvd. Jamaica. N. Y. 11432. USA Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Rehabilitation Readiness Assessment