Implementation of a Family-Centered Care Model in Psychiatric Hospitals as a Means of Reducing Caregiver Anxiety: A Comparative Study

Caregivers of persons with mental illness experience stressors and anxiety during the psychiatric hospitalization of a family member. The implementation of a family-centered model could reduce these feelings, and therefore, such a model was developed in Israel. To examine whether the model's implementation makes a difference in the stress and anxiety experienced by caregivers, a comparative study was conducted in two psychiatric hospitals. Questionnaires were delivered twice to caregivers in an intervention group (n = 93) and a control group (n = 75). The anxiety level was lower in the intervention group than in the control group in the second delivery of the questionnaire. In addition, a lower level of anxiety was found in the intervention group in the second delivery of the questionnaire in comparison to the first. The findings, which can be attributed to the model's application, highlight the need for a paradigm shift to a family-centered model in psychiatric hospitals.