Study finds family education reduces stigma for teens with mental illness

Education sessions for family members is essential for the successful treatment of teenagers with mental illness, as such interventions reduce the stigma that often stands in the way of effective treatment, a study found.

The clinical group intervention study, the first of its kind in China, was conducted by experts at the Shanghai Mental Health Center. It targeted the parents of teenagers with schizophrenia.

The study found that stigma and shame caused by misunderstandings and prejudice about mental illness, which often were accompanied by negative behaviors and discrimination, were one of the major factors hampering patient recovery.

"Stigma will lower patients' willingness to receive treatment and some patients even interrupted their treatments and hid themselves," said study leader Cheng Wenhong, a chief psychiatrist at the center.

A study jointly conducted by 27 countries found that nearly half of patients with schizophrenia experienced discrimination from their friends, 43 percent from their families and 58 percent in the workplace or while searching for work.

The research team recruited 130 parents whose children, aged 12 to 18, were diagnosed with schizophrenia and divided them into two groups. One group of parents was exposed to additional education and intervention activities.

In the intervention group, parents participated in weekly 90-minute group activities that focused on mental illness-related education about the brain disorder, including symptoms and stigma.

The study found that the willingness to accept treatment doubled in families that participated in the intervention. Additionally, those families reported more harmonious relationships and more active lifestyles. Depression and anxiety among family members also significantly decreased after the intervention.

"The research showed that a correct understanding of mental illness and early treatment can help teenagers with schizophrenia come back to society and start a new life," Cheng said.