Outline family intervention (6 marks)

Family intervention is a series of at least 10 sessions over a period of 3-12 months which involves both the patient and their family. The aim of family intervention is to improve family functioning to make family life less stressful by reducing levels of expressed emotion, and developing a cooperative and trusting relationship within the family by improving communication and interaction. One strategy is setting boundaries for the family members, to achieve balance between caring for the patient and maintaining their own lives as this will reduce stress levels in the home. Another strategy is education. Family members are given information to help the patient and themselves to understand how to deal with the illness and the patient is required to tell their family what works and what doesn’t work for them; this knowledge helps the family support the patient.