Motivational interviewing for loved ones: Randomized controlled trial of brief training for first episode psychosis caregivers

Research shows that family involvement in psychosis treatment leads to better patient outcomes. Interventions that involve and counsel family members may improve patient outcomes by addressing barriers to treatment adherence and lowering family expressed emotion, thereby creating a less stressful and more supportive home environment. Learning to use motivational interviewing communication skills may help caregivers to decrease conflict and expressed emotion and improve treatment adherence. The current study is a pilot randomized controlled trial testing the impact of “Motivational Interviewing for Loved Ones” (MILO), a brief five-hour psychoeducational intervention for caregivers, in a sample of family members of individuals with early course psychosis (N = 40). Using a randomized crossover design, caregivers were randomized to either immediate MILO or a six-week waitlist control condition; all participants eventually received the intervention. Caregiver participants experienced large (d = 1.08–1.43) and significant improvements in caregiver wellbeing, caregiver self-efficacy, family conflict, and expressed emotion. There was no change over time in caregiver-reported patient treatment adherence. Relative to waitlist, MILO had significant effects on family conflict and expressed emotion, a trending effect on perceived stress, and no effect on parenting self-efficacy or treatment adherence. MILO showed benefits for caregivers of FEP patients in this small, controlled trial. Further testing in a larger randomized controlled trial is warranted to better characterize MILO's effects for caregivers and patients across a range of diagnoses.