Family intervention for psychosis: Impact of training on clinicians’ attitudes, knowledge and behaviour

Abstract

Objectives

Two family intervention (FI) training models – Psychosocial (Thorn) and Behavioural Family Therapy (BFT, Meriden), were provided to clinicians working in a London mental health service, with an aim to boost FI implementation and family/carer collaborative working.

Methods and procedures

A survey study that used a self-rated questionnaire to evaluate clinicians’ attitude, knowledge and behaviour following FI training, is reported. Data collection was conducted at three time-points: pre and post-training and at five months follow-up after the FI training.

Results

Over an 18-month period from 2010 to 2011, four cohorts of FI training were provided to 55 clinicians working in psychosis services. The results conveyed a positive change in clinicians’ attitude towards collaborative working with families/ carers and most reported that the FI training equipped them with the knowledge and competency required to provide FI. However, participants also identified some implementation challenges.

Conclusions

This survey showed effective outcomes from both Thorn and Meriden training. However, beyond the issue of staff training and skills development, there are wider issues to address for FI to become routine. Organisational support and FI practice development strategies alongside FI training, as highlighted in the BFT training project, are necessary to support clinicians’ FI practice.

Keywords:

• family intervention(s)/work
• families/carers/relatives
• psychosis/psychotic disorders
• schizophrenia
• workforce development/training

Acknowledgements

The study reported in this paper originated from a workforce development commission made by the Family and Carers’ Strategy Committee of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The Croydon BFT Programme was supported by a grant from the Maudsley Charity. The authors also thank Dr. Grainne Fadden and Roger Stanbridge for sharing their FI training evaluation tools which helped shaped the design of the questionnaire reported in this paper. Thanks also go to all the participants of both Croydon and KCL FI training.