家庭照顧者短期支持團體經驗報告

長期照顧家庭中失能或身心嚴重障礙的家人，無論在體力及精神上都是相當沉重的負荷。目的：為抒解家庭照顧者在提供照顧過程的各種壓力，並協助建立照顧者的社會支持系統，本研究期望藉由短期支持團體的活動促進家庭照顧者的身心健康，並能提升對失能或身心障礙家人的照顧品質。方法：本研究透過實際帶領一個短期家庭照顧者支持團體，進行六次團體聚會，除採用過程評估的方式搜集團體過程資料，並參照Yalom的十二項團體療效因素，來探討此團體得的成效。結果：本研究發現：前後共有七名家庭照顧者參與本團體，以女性為多，年齡層多在五十至七十歲之間，受照顧者多罹患不同的慢性疾病，或身心機能已退化。就團體任務達成指標而言，團體成員均能迅速建立對彼此信任度，也能認同團體功能，並接受團體為家庭外的一個支持系統；在團體療效因素中，最顯著項目則包括普遍性、宣洩作用、灌注希望、提供訊息、存在因素、利他性、人際學習－向內等。結論：即使異質性較高的短期支持團體，只要嚴謹策劃與帶領，也應能發揮應有的良好功能。

The work of long-term taking care of a disabled family member is very stressful to the caregivers, either physically or mentally. For relieving the stresses of the family caregivers, and establish their extra-family social support system, this study designed a 6-session short-term structured support group activity to promote participants' physical and mental health, and to im-prove the quality of care of the patient of the family. Totally, there were 7 family caregivers participated the group, the majority of them were female, with the age around 50-70 years old. The clinical diagnoses of the patient of the family, and the degree of their disability were vary. During the group process, the participants could establish mutual trust rapidly, identified the group easily, and did accept the group as an extrafamily support system. Using Yalom's construct of therapeutic factor, the 7 most recognized therapeutic factors were: universality, catharsis, instillation of hope, imparting information, existential factor, altruism, and interpersonal learning-input. It is concluded that, even for heterogeneous caregivers taking care of varied family patients, a well-designed short-term structured group can be constructive and helpful. Extend the short-term support group to a long-term community self-help group or organization was also suggested.