Family attributions and coping in the prediction of emotional adjustment in family members of patients with first-episode schizophrenia

Objective: This study used a stress and coping framework to examine family members' emotional adjustment to caring for a patient with a first episode of schizophrenia. Method: One family member providing primary assistance to each of 63 patien ts with a first episode of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder was in terviewed shortly after patient hospitalization. Results: Overall, family members showed evidence of reasonably good emotion al adjustment. Select indices of poorer emotional adjustment by family memb ers were linked to (i) attributions in which the patient's psychiatric prob lems were viewed as a result of the patient's moral failings or psychologic al problems from earlier life, (ii) coping that was avoidant and (iii) pati ent management strategies that involved conflict avoidance and authoritaria nism/reasoning. Conclusion: These findings are consistent with psychoeducational interventi ons that educate family members about psychiatric illness and assist them i n their efforts to cope with and manage patient problems at home.