Effectiveness of an Integrative Empowerment Intervention for Families on Caring and Prevention of Relapse in Schizophrenia Patients

Introduction: Patients with schizophrenia require extended treatment and recovery, leaving their families and support systems feeling helpless. Integrative empowerment is a strategy that utilizes outside-in and inside-out empowerment to increase the ability of families to care for their loved ones and prevent relapse. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of integrative empowerment intervention on enhancing the family's ability to care for and prevent relapse in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: The study employed a quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test control group design. The research sample was comprised of 70 individuals from nuclear families residing in Semarang, all of whom were responsible for the care of individuals with schizophrenia. The participants were divided into two groups: the treatment group, consisting of 35 individuals, and the control group, also comprising 35 individuals. Participant selection was carried out using purposive sampling. Module and booklet were produced as an intervention tools. The integrative empowerment intervention program spanned a period of 5 weeks, involving one session per week, each lasting approximately 60–90 min. Data analysis was conducted through the utilization of the Wilcoxon and Mann–Whitney tests. The significance level for the study was set at p<.05. Results: There was a significant change in the family's ability to care for patients with schizophrenia before and after the integrative empowerment intervention (p<.001), while there was no change in the control group's ability to care for patients with schizophrenia (p>.05). Integrative empowerment had a significant impact on increasing the family's ability to care for and prevent relapse in patients with schizophrenia (p<.001). Conclusions: Nurses can help families strengthen their positive caregiving experiences through the home visit program by utilizing integrative empowerment. This study's findings highlight the importance of integrative empowerment in enhancing the family's ability to care for and prevent relapse in patients with schizophrenia. © The Author(s) 2024.