Educating relatives of schizophrenic patients.

An education programme given to relatives of schizophrenic patients in the context of other social interventions is described. The findings show that although relatives remember relatively little one month after receiving the education, it is an important intervention. Several reasons are suggested, one of which is that education is a somewhat neutral but engaging beginning to the therapeutic relationship. At the later nine months follow up several positive changes in relatives' attitude were shown.