Effectiveness of Psychoeducation of Relatives of Schizophrenic Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study in Five Cities of China

This is a report on the first-year results of a five-year, multicenter, sectorized, cooperative study conducted in the Chinese cities of Jinan, Hangzhou, Shengyang, Suzhou, and Shanghai. The purpose of the study is to explore, within the context of a primary care mental health program, the feasibility and effectiveness of group psychoeducation for relatives of people with schizophrenia. Most of our schizophrenic subjects, who had been discharged from a hospital, were living in the community with relatives. In recent times, particularly in the last ten years, a considerable literature has accumulated on interventions with patients and their families aimed at prevent