TY - JOUR

T1 - Informal caregivers in early psychosis

T2 - evaluation of need for psychosocial intervention and unresolved grief

AU - Mulligan, John

AU - Sellwood, William

AU - Reid, Graeme S.

AU - Riddell, Suzanne

AU - Andy, Natasha

PY - 2013/8

Y1 - 2013/8

N2 - Aim: Relatives of service users involved with Early Intervention in Psychosis services often experience substantial distress and need associated with their role as caregivers. This study adapted versions of the Relatives Cardinal Needs Schedule and the Texas Inventory of Grief and tested their utility for use among relatives of service users experiencing a first episode of psychosis.Methods: Staff, service users and relatives were consulted and a pilot took place which facilitated the creation of the Relatives' Urgent Needs Schedule - Early Intervention version (RUNS-EI) and the Texas Inventory of Grief Early Intervention version (TIG-EI). Thirty service user-caregiver dyads were recruited for the evaluation of reliability and validity.Results: The level of 'urgent need' identified by the RUNS-EI demonstrated good concurrent validity with measures of service user social and global functioning as well as measures assessing relatives' distress, expressed emotion and grief. The measure demonstrated acceptable interrater and test-retest reliability. The profile of need is reported. The TIG-EI demonstrated 'excellent' internal consistency. It also demonstrated good concurrent validity with increased TIG-EI scores correlated with reduced service user social and global functioning as well as increased scores on measures assessing relatives' distress, expressed emotion and caregiving needs.Conclusions: Results appear to support these assessments' utility as measures of need for psychosocial intervention and grief among relatives supporting service users experiencing a first episode of psychosis.

AB - Aim: Relatives of service users involved with Early Intervention in Psychosis services often experience substantial distress and need associated with their role as caregivers. This study adapted versions of the Relatives Cardinal Needs Schedule and the Texas Inventory of Grief and tested their utility for use among relatives of service users experiencing a first episode of psychosis.Methods: Staff, service users and relatives were consulted and a pilot took place which facilitated the creation of the Relatives' Urgent Needs Schedule - Early Intervention version (RUNS-EI) and the Texas Inventory of Grief Early Intervention version (TIG-EI). Thirty service user-caregiver dyads were recruited for the evaluation of reliability and validity.Results: The level of 'urgent need' identified by the RUNS-EI demonstrated good concurrent validity with measures of service user social and global functioning as well as measures assessing relatives' distress, expressed emotion and grief. The measure demonstrated acceptable interrater and test-retest reliability. The profile of need is reported. The TIG-EI demonstrated 'excellent' internal consistency. It also demonstrated good concurrent validity with increased TIG-EI scores correlated with reduced service user social and global functioning as well as increased scores on measures assessing relatives' distress, expressed emotion and caregiving needs.Conclusions: Results appear to support these assessments' utility as measures of need for psychosocial intervention and grief among relatives supporting service users experiencing a first episode of psychosis.

KW - early intervention in psychosis

KW - informal caregiver

KW - need

KW - relative

KW - unresolved grief

KW - EXPRESSED EMOTION

KW - MENTAL-ILLNESS

KW - FAMILY INTERVENTION

KW - EVENT SCALE

KW - INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

KW - SCHIZOPHRENIC DISORDERS

KW - PSYCHIATRIC-ILLNESS

KW - RELATIVES

KW - QUESTIONNAIRE

KW - 1ST-EPISODE

U2 - 10.1111/j.1751-7893.2012.00369.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1751-7893.2012.00369.x

M3 - Journal article

VL - 7

SP - 291

EP - 299

JO - Early Intervention in Psychiatry

JF - Early Intervention in Psychiatry

SN - 1751-7885

IS - 3

ER -