The E Sibling Project – exploratory randomised controlled trial of an online multi-component psychoeducational intervention for siblings of individuals with first episode psychosis

BMC Psychiatry

Study Protocol

Ian Norman¹  Jacqueline Sin¹  Claire Henderson²  Vanessa Pinfold³ 

[1] Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery, King's College London, 57 Waterloo Road, SE1 8WA, London, England;Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, SE5 8AF, London, England;The McPin Foundation, 32-36 Loman Street, SE1 0EH, London, England;

关键词: Siblings;    Brothers;    Sisters;    First-episode early onset psychosis;    Family;    Randomised controlled trial;    Psychoeducation;    Peer support;    Health education;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-244X-13-123

 received in 2012-12-12, accepted in 2013-04-19,  发布年份 2013

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSiblings of individuals with first episode psychosis are natural partners to promote service users’ recovery and are themselves vulnerable to mental ill health due to the negative impact of psychosis within the family. This study aims to develop and undertake a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of an online multi-component psychoeducational intervention for siblings of individuals with first episode psychosis. The impetus for the intervention arose from siblings' expressed needs for peer support and information on psychosis, coping and management strategies for common symptoms and ways to promote recovery.Methods/DesignThe project design draws on the Medical Research Council framework for the design and evaluation of complex interventions. Mixed methods comprising collection of qualitative focus group data, systematic review and expert advisory group consultation are used to develop the theoretical basis for and design of the intervention. This protocol focuses on the modelling and piloting phase which uses a randomised controlled trial with factorial design to test the efficacy of the intervention. Outcome data on participants’ mental wellbeing, knowledge, perceived self-efficacy and experiences of caregiving will be assessed at baseline, at end of the intervention (10 weeks later) and at 10 week follow-up. In addition, a post-intervention semi-structured interview with 20% of the participants will explore their experiences and acceptability of the intervention.DiscussionThis multi-component online psychoeducational intervention aims to enhance siblings' knowledge about psychosis and their coping capacity, thus potentially improving their own mental wellbeing and promoting their contribution to service users’ recovery. The factorial design randomised controlled trial with a supplementary process evaluation using semi-structured interviews and usage-monitoring will collect preliminary evidence of efficacy, feasibility and acceptability, as well as feedback about the barriers and strategies to using such an innovative resource. The RCT will provide data for estimating the likely effect size of the intervention on outcomes for siblings and inform the development of a definitive future trial.Trial registrationTrial registration: ISRCTN01416694

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Sin et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2013