Abstract
Family members caring for a young person diagnosed with the onset of mental health problems face heightened stress, depression, and social isolation. Despite evidence for the effectiveness of family based interventions, sustaining access to specialist family interventions is a major challenge. The availability of the Internet provides possibilities to expand and sustain access to evidence-based psychoeducation and personal support for family members. In this paper we describe the therapeutic model and the components of our purpose-built moderated online social therapy (MOST) program for families. We outline the background to its development, beginning with our face-to-face EPISODE II family intervention, which informed our selection of therapeutic content, and the integration of recent developments in positive psychology. Our online interventions for carers integrate online therapy, online social networking, peer and expert support, and online social problem solving which has been designed to reduce stress in carers. The initial version of our application entitled Meridian was shown to be safe, acceptable, and feasible in a feasibility study of carers of youth diagnosed with depression and anxiety. There was a significant reduction in self-reported levels of stress in caregivers and change in stress was significantly correlated with use of the system. We have subsequently launched a cluster RCT for caregivers with a relative diagnosed with first-episode psychosis. Our intervention has the potential to improve access to effective specialist support for families facing the onset of serious mental health problems in their young relative.
Highlights
Severe mental health disorders most often have their initial onset during late adolescence and early adulthood which has several critical implications for the lives of family members (de Girolamo et al, 2012)
Meridian and Altitudes are both powered by our Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST) software platform, which has provided a framework for six separate individual online platforms, including youth diagnosed with psychosis, at risk mental state, depression, help-seeking young people, and carers (Gleeson et al, 2012; Alvarez-Jimenez et al, 2013; Lederman et al, 2014)
Meridian was evaluated in an initial feasibility study for carers with a young relative receiving treatment for depression or anxiety. We considered that this population of carers provided a useful basis for a feasibility trial that would inform our work with other carer populations, including early psychosis because: (a) they share similar demographic features including stage of family life; (b) they are faced with navigating access to mental health care for the first time; (c) they have had little previous exposure to psychoeducation or family support; and (d) they present with significant stress related to uncertainty regarding the day-to-day management of the young person’s behavior
Summary
Severe mental health disorders most often have their initial onset during late adolescence and early adulthood which has several critical implications for the lives of family members (de Girolamo et al, 2012). As a consequence, when symptoms of a mental health disorder develop in their young relative, many family members are confused and overwhelmed regarding the nature and causes of changes in the young person’s behavior, let alone the required interventions (Gleeson et al, 1999). Even when appropriate mental health care is accessed in a timely manner the process of diagnosis and initiation of treatment is often a source of considerable distress for family members (Jansen et al, 2015). Delay is likely to worsen the prognosis and potentially prolong the uncertainty and helplessness for family members (Marshall et al, 2005)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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 call
