Introducing system of psychotherapeutic interventions for family caregivers of patients with endogenous mental disorders.
OBJECTIVE
Introduction: Providing care for patients with endogenous mental disorders is associated with significant psychosocial burden. The aim of this study was to introduce a system of psychotherapeutic interventions for family caregivers of patients with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder based on understanding their prevalent coping behavior patterns and communicative coping resources evaluation.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
Materials and methods: A total of 273 family caregivers of patients with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were involved into this survey under informed consent conditions. Control group included 55 mentally healthy respondents, in whose families there is no mentally sick family member. Test for psychological diagnostics of coping mechanisms (E. Heim) and emotional empathy test (А. Mehrabian) were chosen as psychological testing research tools. Values of p <0.05 were considered significant.


RESULTS
Results: The study revealed prevalence of certain maladaptive coping strategies and lack of communicative coping resources in family caregivers of patients with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These data might be among significant predictors of communicative dysfunctions in families where one of the family members has endogenous mental disorder, and must be considered while developing appropriate psychotherapeutic programs.


CONCLUSION
Conclusions: On the basis of revealed data, we have introduced an integrative system of psychotherapeutic interventions, aimed to develop adaptive forms of coping behavior in family caregivers, increase their empathetic and affiliative resources, create favorable conditions for activation of personal resources and adaptive potential of both family caregivers and patients with paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
['Pshuk|Nataliia G|NG|', 'Stukan|Liudmila V|LV|', 'Kaminska|Anna O|AO|']
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological D001714:Bipolar Disorder D017028:Caregivers D005190:Family D006801:Humans D011613:Psychotherapy D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid
psychotherapeutic intervention family caregivers coping behavior mental disease