INCREASING MEXICAN-AMERICAN ATTENDANCE OF SUPPORT GROUPS FOR PARENTS OF THE MENTALLY-ILL - ORGANIZATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL-FACTORS

Research was carried out to identify organizational and psychological factors associated with the attendance by Mexican Americans at family support groups. Qualitative and action-oriented pilot research identif ied parents' preferences for organizational arrangements, and two supp ort groups were created that were Spanish speaking, facilitated by bil ingual mental health professionals, and closely linked to ethnic menta l health agencies. A prospective study was then carried out that invol ved 32 Mexican families with a son/daughter being treated for schizoph renia at one of the two agencies. The parent who was the primary careg iver in each family was interviewed and then referred to one of the tw o groups; parents' attendance was followed for 1 year. Parent attendan ce was related to the level of burden experienced and assumptions abou t the causes of their son/daughter's problems.