Psycho-education of families in relation to their siblings' psychiatric illness

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the extent of knowledge that family members of intellectually disabled individuals had in relation to their siblings' psychiatric illness. All siblings lived in residential intellectually disabled housing. Method: We evaluated on three occasions (before providing information about their sibling's psychiatric illness and treatment, and one and six months after providing this information) the families' understanding of their siblings' psychiatric illness. Results: Initially families had a poor knowledge of their siblings' psychiatric illness and treatment, but this improved markedly after information was provided by a medical practitioner. This was a short-term effect, as at six months, families understanding had disimproved although not to pre-consultation levels. Conclusions: The provision of information to family members pertaining to their siblings' psychiatric diagnosis and treatment should be incorporated into the routine treatment of intellectually disabled individuals with a psychiatric illness.