OBJECTIVE: The Family-to-Family Education Program (FTF) is a 12-week course offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for family members of adults with mental illness. This study evaluated the course's effectiveness. METHODS: A total of 318 consenting participants in five Maryland counties were randomly assigned to take FTF immediately or to wait at least three months for the next available class with free use of any other NAMI supports or community or professional supports. Participants were interviewed at study enrollment and three months later (at course termination) regarding problem- and emotion-focused coping, subjective illness burden, and distress. A linear mixed-effects multilevel regression model tested for significant changes over time between intervention conditions. RESULTS:FTF participants had significantly greater improvements in problem-focused coping as measured by empowerment and illness knowledge. Exploratory analyses revealed that FTF participants had significantly enhanced emotion-focused coping as measured by increased acceptance of their family member's illness, as well as reduced distress and improved problem solving. Subjective illness burden did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that FTF is effective for enhancing coping and empowerment of families of persons with mental illness, although not for reducing subjective burden. Other benefits for problem solving and reducing distress are suggested but require replication.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: The Family-to-Family Education Program (FTF) is a 12-week course offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for family members of adults with mental illness. This study evaluated the course's effectiveness. METHODS: A total of 318 consenting participants in five Maryland counties were randomly assigned to take FTF immediately or to wait at least three months for the next available class with free use of any other NAMI supports or community or professional supports. Participants were interviewed at study enrollment and three months later (at course termination) regarding problem- and emotion-focused coping, subjective illness burden, and distress. A linear mixed-effects multilevel regression model tested for significant changes over time between intervention conditions. RESULTS:FTFparticipants had significantly greater improvements in problem-focused coping as measured by empowerment and illness knowledge. Exploratory analyses revealed that FTFparticipants had significantly enhanced emotion-focused coping as measured by increased acceptance of their family member's illness, as well as reduced distress and improved problem solving. Subjective illness burden did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that FTF is effective for enhancing coping and empowerment of families of persons with mental illness, although not for reducing subjective burden. Other benefits for problem solving and reducing distress are suggested but require replication.
Authors: L Dixon; A Lucksted; B Stewart; J Burland; C H Brown; L Postrado; C McGuire; M Hoffman Journal: Acta Psychiatr Scand Date: 2004-03 Impact factor: 6.392
Authors: Lisa B Dixon; Faith Dickerson; Alan S Bellack; Melanie Bennett; Dwight Dickinson; Richard W Goldberg; Anthony Lehman; Wendy N Tenhula; Christine Calmes; Rebecca M Pasillas; Jason Peer; Julie Kreyenbuhl Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2009-12-02 Impact factor: 9.306
Authors: A Lucksted; D Medoff; J Burland; B Stewart; L J Fang; C Brown; A Jones; A Lehman; L B Dixon Journal: Acta Psychiatr Scand Date: 2012-07-16 Impact factor: 6.392
Authors: Lawrence H Yang; Grace Y Lai; Ming Tu; Maggie Luo; Ahtoy Wonpat-Borja; Valerie W Jackson; Roberto Lewis-Fernández; Lisa Dixon Journal: Transcult Psychiatry Date: 2013-12-06
Authors: W Wolfgang Fleischhacker; Celso Arango; Paul Arteel; Thomas R E Barnes; William Carpenter; Ken Duckworth; Silvana Galderisi; Lisa Halpern; Martin Knapp; Stephen R Marder; Mary Moller; Norman Sartorius; Peter Woodruff Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2014-04 Impact factor: 9.306