Bipolar Blog by Liz: Mental Illness with Families

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Mental Illness with Families

Improving Knowledge About Mental Illness Through Family-Led Education: The Journey of Hope

Susan A. Pickett-Schenk, Ph.D., Richard C. Lippincott, M.D., Cynthia Bennett, M.A. and Pamela J. Steigman, M.A. OBJECTIVE: Families often do not receive the information thatthey need to care for their adult relatives with mental illness.This study examined the effectiveness of a family-led educationintervention, the Journey of Hope, in improving participants'knowledge about mental illness and its treatment and decreasingtheir information needs. METHODS: A total of 462 family membersof adults with mental illness in Louisiana participated in thestudy; 231 were randomly assigned to immediate receipt of theJourney of Hope course (intervention group), and 231 were randomlyassigned to a nine-month waiting list for the course (controlgroup). Participants completed in-person, structured interviewsassessing their knowledge of mental illness and problem-solvingskills and their information needs at study enrollment (baseline),three months postbaseline, and eight months postbaseline. RESULTS:Random regression analyses indicate that at three and eightmonths postbaseline, compared with participants assigned tothe control group, those in the intervention group reportedgreater knowledge gains (beta=.84, p $≤$ .01) and fewer needs forinformation on coping with positive symptoms (beta=-.63, p $≤$ .05),coping with negative symptoms (beta=-.80, p $≤$ .001), problem management(beta=-1.00, p $≤$ .001), basic facts about mental illness and itstreatment (beta=-.73, p $≤$ .01), and community resources (beta=-.07,p $≤$ .05). These significant differences in knowledge and informationneeds were maintained over time and were significant even whencontrolling for participants' demographic characteristics andtheir relatives' clinical characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Participationin family-led education interventions, such as the Journey ofHope, may provide families with the information they need tobetter cope with their relative's mental illness.

1 comment:

Diane J Standiford said...: Long overdue.; February 22, 2008 at 1:29:00 PM PST

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Press Release

Press Release
A Bipolar Quandary: New Book Highlights Family's Struggle with Bipolar DisorderARLINGTON, Texas, March 23, 2007 -- Author Liz Janill tells the true story of a woman with bipolar disorder and the painful experiences of her family that cares for her in her new book, "Who Are the Victims? A Bipolar Quandary" (now available through AuthorHouse). Dorothy is medically diagnosed with bipolar disorder, in addition to suffering from delusions. Her husband, Charles, must make the decision to either place her in an asylum or allow her to live at home and help raise their three young children. Ultimately, he decides that the children should have a mother in their lives, no matter what. This begins the family's unforgettable journey of understanding as they work with Dorothy to manage her disorder and delusions. At times, Dorothy is lucid, but most of her time is spent in a hyper-manic and delusional frame of mind. The story is told through the eyes of Liz, Dorothy's daughter, beginning when she is 5 years old. Dorothy and Liz are very close and spend a great deal of time together. Liz expresses many of her thoughts and feelings regarding her mother and recounts the amazing obstacles that the family overcomes due to the disorder. "It is a love story in some ways about a family who loved Dorothy extremely and how they protected and took care of her for 48 years," says Janill. Through her story, Janill walks readers through the painful decisions that must be made every day on behalf of someone who is bipolar. "Bipolar disorder is an emotional rollercoaster ride that involves not only the bipolar person, but the whole family itself," she says. Janill wrote this book to share the very personal story of her now deceased mother. She hopes to reach other families in similar situations by providing a source of comfort and support in the knowledge that they are not alone. AuthorHouse is the premier publishing house for emerging authors and new voices in literature. For more information, please visit http://www.authorhouse.com.