Abstract

Most people with schizophrenia continue their treatment within their families. This can lead to a deterioration of the life quality of their caregivers, by compromising economic and social aspects, as well as their physical and mental health. Evidence shows that psychosocial interventions can alleviate this burden of care. In Chile, the Ministry of Health recommends the inclusion of psychosocial interventions in the treatment of schizophrenia patients but does not propose any specific programs. The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of the program Profamille on the severity of burden of care and psychological symptoms of caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Subjects and Methods: Open, non-controlled clinical trial. The program was carried out in rehabilitation centers in three Chilean cities for a period of five months. Participants included 51 caregivers of people with schizophrenia with at least one year of evolution and ambulatory treatment. The program consisted of 10 biweekly, 2.5 hours long sessions led by a clinical psychologist and a psychiatric resident. Self-evaluation scales were used to assess the results. Results: The program dropout rate was 31%. Mean scores showed significant differences in the scales of depression and anxiety, pre and post program, with a moderate effect size. There were no differences in the scale of burden of care. Discussion: The Profamille program shows ease of implementation, cost-effectiveness, and a potential favorable effect. Further examination of this program with medium and long term follow-up is suggested.