Psychological Intervention on Health, Self-Esteem, and Coping in Siblings of Patients with Severe Mental Disorders

Background: This study examined the effectiveness of a psychological intervention on self-esteem, perceived stress, perceived health problems, coping strategies, psychological inflexibility, and caregiving experience in siblings of patients with severe mental disorders (SMD). Method: 42 Siblings of patients with SMD participated. The psychological intervention was based on the third wave of cognitive-behavioural therapy and consisted of 14 group sessions. Pre- and post-treatment assessment were conducted in the intervention group (IG) and compared with the control group (CG). Results: IG significantly increased self-esteem, adaptive coping, and positive caregiving experience and reduced perceived stress, perceived health problems, psychological inflexibility, maladaptive coping, and negative caregiving experience. The effect sizes were moderate to large. No changes were reported for the CG in the post-treatment evaluation. Conclusions: The psychological intervention for siblings was effective in relation to the variables assessed. This is an innovative approach to care within the health system for siblings of people suffering from SMD. Antecedentes: Este estudio eval & uacute;a la eficacia de una intervenci & oacute;n psicol & oacute;gica sobre la autoestima, el estr & eacute;s percibido, los problemas de salud percibidos, las estrategias de afrontamiento, la inflexibilidad psicol & oacute;gica y la experiencia en cuidados de hermanos de pacientes con trastornos mentales graves (TMG). M & eacute;todo: Participaron 42 hermanos de pacientes con TMG. La intervenci & oacute;n psicol & oacute;gica estaba basada en la terapia cognitivo-conductual de tercera generaci & oacute;n y consisti & oacute; en 14 sesiones de grupo. Se realiz & oacute; una evaluaci & oacute;n antes y despu & eacute;s del tratamiento en el grupo de intervenci & oacute;n (GI) y se compar & oacute; con el grupo control (GC). Resultados: El GI aument & oacute; significativamente en autoestima, afrontamiento adaptativo y experiencias positivas de cuidado y disminuy & oacute; en estr & eacute;s percibido, problemas de salud percibidos, inflexibilidad psicol & oacute;gica, afrontamiento desadaptativo y experiencias negativas de cuidado. Los tama & ntilde;os del efecto fueron de moderados a grandes. El GC no mostr & oacute; cambios en el postratamiento. Conclusiones: La intervenci & oacute;n psicol & oacute;gica en los hermanos ha sido eficaz y es una propuesta de asistencia innovadora dentro del sistema sanitario en hermanos de personas que padecen TMG.