Effects of psycho-educational program on knowledge and attitude upon schizophrenia of schizophrenic patients' caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is mainly characterized by chronic psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and negative symptoms such as social withdrawal. These symptoms cause behavior problems, i.e. aggressive behavior violence, or social isolation that affect the patients' lives, and the health status and daily routine of caregivers or family members. Psychological distress or burden of caregivers often results in poor care provided to these patients. Most studies showed that high expressed emotion in the family leads to high a relapse rate of schizophrenia. The psycho-educational program is aimed to provide education about this disorder help the caregivers to deal with the patients' problems more effectively, reduce psychological distress of caregivers, and provide social support for caregivers. OBJECTIVE: Study the effects of psycho-educational program on knowledge and attitude of schizophrenia on caregivers of schizophrenic patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The participants completed the one-day psycho-educational program run by a team of psychiatrists in the Department of Psychiatry, Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. The psycho-educational program was composed of didactic session on schizophrenia, group discussion, and communication skill building. The participants were evaluated for the knowledge and attitude, before and after the program. The mean scores of knowledge, attitude before and after the program were compared by using paired t-test. RESULTS: Ninety-one caregivers of schizophrenic patients participated into the present study. The results showed that the mean scores of knowledge and attitude before the program were 6.06 (SD = 1.86) and 37.57 (SD = 6.46) and after the program were 6.91 (SD = 3.35), and 29.37 (SD = 15.79), respectively. The scores of knowledge and attitude of caregivers, before and after the program were statistically different. The participants evaluated the program as an interesting and very useful program. CONCLUSION: Psycho-educational program on schizophrenia increase the knowledge and shape the attitude of caregivers. Therefore, interventions targeting caregivers of schizophrenic patients should result in the successful treatment and rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients.

Personality profiles of suicidal depressed patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the personality profiles of depressed patients who attempted suicide. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The sample consisted of 80 patients aged above 18 years who presented with suicidal attempt and had clinical depression and 80 depressed patients who had never attempted suicide. The subjects were clinically assessed for depression and measured severity objectively with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). Personality was assessed via the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF). RESULTS: The personality profile showed that patients with suicidal attempt were easily affected by feelings, emotionally less stable, concrete thinking, relatively more uninhibited and imaginative compared to those without suicidal attempt. CONCLUSION: Depressed patients who attempted suicide appeared to have a distinctive personality profile. Exploration and intervention tailored to specific personality profile particularly emotional instability, and concrete thinking in individuals with depression should be included in management of depression for prevention and reducing risk of suicide.