Effects of Psychoeducation on Stigma in Family Caregivers of Patients with Schizophrenia: A Clinical Trial

Background: Stigma is the most chal‌lenging care responsibility in families of individuals with psychological disorders. Considering the evident impacts of cultural and social circumstances on stigma, less attention has been paid to this issue and the conducted interventions are limited. Aim: todetermine the effects of psychoeducation on stigma in family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 60 family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia, hospitalized at Ibn Sina Hospital of Mashhad in 2014-2015, were assigned to intervention (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. The experimental group received psychoeducation according to the model by Falloon et al. (1985) during two 4-hour sessions, while the control group received usual care. The Modified Version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale was completed immediately before and one month after the intervention. For data analysis, Fisher’s exact test, Mann-Whitney, independent t-test and paired t-test were performed, using SPSS version 11.5. Results: In total, 71.7% of family caregivers were female and 28.3% were male. Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the intervention (44.3±9.2) and control (43.8±9.7) groups regarding the mean score of stigma (P=0.84). However, the mean change in the total stigma score before and after the intervention was significantly different between the intervention (5.0±8.1) and control (0.03±5.8) groups (P=0.01). Conclusion: Considering the influence of psychoeducation on individual aspects of stigma, this method can be applied to reduce stigma at psychiatric hospitals.