COUNSELING CAREGIVERS OF RELATIVES WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA - THEMES, INTERVENTIONS, AND CAVEATS

As part of a controlled study of the effectiveness of a counseling pro gram for family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia, we conducte d a comprehensive examination of the process. The particular foci were on themes that arose during sessions, principal therapeutic intervent ions offered, and caveats for counselors working in the field. The mos t striking finding was the diverse range of themes, covering personal, coping, family, and social aspects of the caregiving experience. This required a correspondingly broad array of interventions. The implicat ions are clear: confining counseling for caregivers to such traditiona l dimensions as education or attempts to reduce emotional expressivene ss denies them the opportunity to deal with other equally relevant con cerns.