Abstract
BackgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and often chronic problem. Patients with chronic MDD often have negative impacts on the health of their families. Family psychoeducation is recognized as part of the optimal treatment for patients with psychotic disorder, and has been shown to reduce the rate of relapse in individuals with schizophrenia and to reduce the burden on their caregivers. Thus, we predict that family psychoeducation has the potential to reduce the burden on the caregivers of patients with chronic MDD. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of brief multifamily psychoeducation (BMP) on the mental health status of family members of patients with chronic MDD.MethodsWe conducted a clinical trial consisting of 49 chronic MDD patients and their families. Each family was randomly assigned to either the BMP intervention group or the control group. The intervention group received four BMP sessions, once every two weeks for eight weeks. The control group received one counseling session administered by a nurse. All patients received standard treatment administered by physicians. The primary outcome measurement was the Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K6) score of family members at 16- weeks after the first BMP session. Secondary outcomes were depressive symptoms of both family members and patients at multiple time points, as well as family functioning as evaluated by the patients. Intention-to-treat analyses were conducted.ResultsThere was no statistically significant effect of BMP on K6 scores at 16- weeks (mean difference 1.17, 95% confidence interval: − 0.63 to 2.98, P = 0.19). Exploratory analyses revealed that BMP reduced depressive symptoms in family members at 8- weeks (difference = − 3.37, 95%CI -6.32 to − 0.43, P = 0.02) and improved family functioning at multiple time points (Role; 8 W, difference = − 0.13, 95%CI -0.26 to − 0.00, P = 0.04, Affective Responsiveness; 8 W, difference = − 0.24, 95%CI -0.43 to − 0.05, P = 0.01, 32 W, difference = − 0.22, 95%CI -0.41 to − 0.03, P = 0.02, Behavior Control; 16 W, difference = − 0.17, 95%CI -0.34 to − 0.00, P = 0.04).ConclusionsFour BMP sessions did not significantly reduce the psychological distress of family members of patients with chronic MDD.Trial registrationClinical Trials. gov NCT01734291, retrospectively registered (Registration date: November 21, 2012).
Highlights
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and often chronic problem
In our previous study [8], using the Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K6), which measures general psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, we demonstrated that families of patients with MDD had significantly worse mental health status than the general population of Japan (K6 scores 8.6 ± 5.4 versus 3.6 ± 3.9) [9]
Inclusion criteria were: the patient met the criteria for MDD according to DSM-IV based on the consensus rating by trained psychiatrists; the patient was receiving antidepressant therapy at the time of entry into the study; the patient had the first episode of MDD more than one year prior to study recruitment; the patient and his/her family member(s) were aged between 18 and 85 years; the patient lived with his/her family at the time of entry in this study and was expected to live with his/her family during the study period
Summary
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and often chronic problem. Patients with chronic MDD often have negative impacts on the health of their families. We predict that family psychoeducation has the potential to reduce the burden on the caregivers of patients with chronic MDD. We aimed to investigate the effects of brief multifamily psychoeducation (BMP) on the mental health status of family members of patients with chronic MDD. The probability of remaining symptom-free was 57% at 1 year, 47% at 2 years, and 35% at 5 years [2] This illustrates a real danger of becoming chronically depressed after initial MDD diagnosis. It is of great interest to reduce psychological burden among the family members of patients with chronic MDD. There is no commonly accepted strategy that is proven effective for this purpose
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
