The Study On Social Work Interventions In Psychologial Assistance For Family Caregivers Of Schizophrenia Patients

With the growing number of patients with mental disorders and the seriousness of psychological problems in China,schizophrenia patients and family caregivers have showed the adverse psychological symptoms as depression and pain,causing a large negative impact on their body,family and life that aroused the government and the public extensive attention.Throughout policy,academic and practical research,we have found the case study on family caregivers of schizophrenia patients not only had the problem with small sample number but lack of the depth on the process of concentrating on local cultural experience.Therefore,it was very necessary for social workers to explore the appropriate and specific psychological assistance practice model of the caregivers of schizophrenia families.Based on the theory of social support and the strengths perspective,under the guidance of social work values,with the help of action research from Gerald Susman and Stephen Kemmis and Robin Mc Taggart,combined with the social worker’s practical experience involved in the psychological assistance for family caregivers of schizophrenic patients,we summarized an action research framework which was suitable for local situation.Utilizing the professional skills of case social work as listening patiently,empathy and sincerity to provide effective services such as economic assistance,reconciliation of parent-child relationship and psychological support for schizophrenia patients and home caregivers,social worker found that the suitable practice mode as a case management model and home caregiver enhancement model were based on the theory of social support according to the framework of action research.Through the analysis of the action process,we have found four stages of intervention including life support,relationships recovery,consciousness awaking and psychological guidance.With regard to the methods of intervention,a case management model can be used in the stages of life support and relationships recovery,while two stages of consciousness awaking and psychological guidance were in accordance with home caregiver enhancement model.In terms of intervention content,the living security stage was to provide living assistance services for schizophrenic patients by linking policy resources.The relationships restoring stage was to coordinate relation between the schizophrenia patient and family caregiver,building the new social connection on the basic of the old social support network.The awareness awaking stage mainly reminded the family caregiver to arouse the problem consciousness.The psychological counseling stage included three aspects like emotional venting,hope input and potential exploration that reshaping their vision of life by releasing the stress of schizophrenia patients and family caregivers.The social worker played the roles as the person of connecting resources,coordinating relationship,raising awareness and give emotional support.Evidence to suggest that social work interventions in solving the psychological problems of schizophrenia patient and caregiver were useful because caregiver reduced the negative emotion and repaired the parent-child relationship of the psychological intervention in action.Through the summary and reflection of the action,it was found that there were three suggestions of the social work psychological intervention practice of schizophrenia caregivers.Firstly,it emphasizes the power of social work values and social worker as practitioner needed to alert themselves about bad influence brought from the caregiver’s stigma and enhance their psychological quality.Secondly,social work theories choosing correctly have an effect on the result of the action.Experiencing the process of theoretical choice correct or not,social workers are supposed to adjust the action’s plan timely until finding the suitable practice theory.Thirdly,it values the proficient case social work method’s positive aspect because it’s good for professional relationship.Social workers should keep confident about their social case work’s technology and improve the professional skills continuously.