Expressed Emotion: Family Psycho-Educational Effect with Auditory Hallucination Treatment on Family Caregivers of People with Schizophrenia

Abstract

Background: Hallucinations in people with schizophrenia can trigger high expressed emotion on family caregivers. Family psycho-education using auditory hallucination treatment modules and videos has never been done and is not specific to auditory hallucinations. The study aimed to determine the effect of the use of Auditory Hallucination Nursing Module and Videos on expressed emotion the family caregivers of people with Schizophrenia.

Method: The research design was Randomize Controll Trial (RCT). The population study consists of 1729 family caregivers of schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucinations at the psychiatric out patients clinic of the Jambi Regional Psychiatric Hospital. Subjects were selected randomly with 42 subjects for each treatment and control group. The treatment group received auditory hallucination treatment materials in the forms of module and videos, while the control received the modules only. Expressed emotions measured by the Family Attitude Scale before and 1 month after treatment. The data were analyzed univariate and bivariate by dependent and independent t-tests.

Results: There was a significant difference in expressed emotion (p=0.000) within treatment groups before and after the treatment. There was a significant difference in expressed emotion (p=0.000) within control groups before and after the treatment. There was no significant difference in expressed emotion (p=0.132) between both of groups 1 month after treatment.

Conclusions: Family psycho-education by the module and videos treatments can lower the expressed emotion of family caregivers of schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucination. Psychiatric Nurses should educate the family caregivers by auditory hallucination nursing module and videos as means to reduce expressed emotion of family caregivers.