The following is a summary of “Leo program, a short multi-family skill-based psychoeducational program for caregivers of relatives living with a severe mental disorder: a retrospective pilot study,” published in the May 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Lespine et al.
Caring for a loved one with a severe mental disorder (SMD) is challenging and can affect health. Early family psychoeducational programs are urgently needed.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study testing “Leo,” a motivational-based program to help caregivers support their relatives and practice self-care.
The medical records of caregivers who joined a short, multi-family psychoeducational program with eight 3-hour sessions over 8 weeks were analyzed. The primary outcomes included adherence to the program, satisfaction and perceived usefulness of the program, pre-post changes in depression (CES-D), burden (ZBI), and skills (10 Likert-scaled items) through surveys. A network analysis was used to explore relationships between changes in self-evaluated skills, burden, and depression levels.
The results showed that out of 91 participants, 87 (95.6%) completed at least 5 out of 8 program sessions, with 80.5% attending all. After the program, 76 caregivers completed surveys. Depression levels didn’t change significantly (Cohen’s d=0.19, P=0.210), but burden scores and skills improved (Cohen’s ds from 0.47 to 0.87, P<0.001). Better self-evaluated skills were also linked to reduced burden and depression. Most caregivers were “very satisfied” (89.7%) and found the program “extremely useful” (82.1%).
Investigators concluded that the “Leo” program showed promise in reducing caregiver burden and improving coping skills. However, larger controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings and understand the long-term effects on burden, depression, and skills.
Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1374540/full
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