精神分裂症病患主要照顧者支持團體成效之評值

The Evaluation of Support Groups for Caregivers with Schizophrenic Patients

本研究的目的為瞭解支持團體對精神分裂症病患照顧者疾病知識與社會支持之影響。本研究係採用類實驗控制前後測設計法，以八週的教育心理支持團體為介入措施，研究對象於團體前、後及團體結束後一個月填寫結構式問卷以進行資料收集。研究樣本係選自某醫學中心及精神專科醫院之精神分裂症病患照顧者，實驗組與控制組各35人，共70人。研究結果顯示：實驗組在團體後相較於團體前，疾病知識及社會支持之改變量均優於控制組；一個月後追蹤發現，實驗組疾病知識改善情形維持平穩，而社會支持雖呈現下降的趨勢但仍比團體前佳。依研究結果建議照顧者支持團體應推展為常規之醫療照護模式，並將團體相關理論、團體技巧訓練與團體領導經驗列入護理人員進階制度之繼續教育內容中，以提升護理人員專業能力。

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of support groups on caregivers' knowledge and social support. A quasi-experimental pre-post control group design was used in this study. Eight weeks of psychoeducational support groups served as an intervention. There were three waves of data collection: pre-test, post-test, and one month during follow-up. A total of 70 caregivers with schizophrenic patients were assigned into experimental and control groups with 35 persons each. The result of the study showed that the knowledge of disease and social support significantly improved in the experimental group compared with those of the control group. The improvement remained significant at the end of first month during follow-up. Social support showed a tendency to decrease with time but was still improved over pretest. Recommendations based on the results of this study include: (1) caregiver support groups should be promoted as a conventional mode of care; and (2) training in support group theory and practice and in group leadership should be incorporated into continuing education programs, to upgrade nurses' ability to lead support groups.