Background: Family members often assume the responsibility of caring for psychiatric patients. However, in Middle Eastern countries, there is limited help available for people with psychiatric disorders and their families. Inadequate health education significantly influences the care process and is seen as a risk factor for psychiatric disorders. This study aims to evaluate the psycho-educational requirements of family caregivers of mental patients attending outpatient clinics at a psychiatric hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Aim: To evaluate the psycho-educational requirements of family caregivers of mental patients attending outpatient clinics at a psychiatric hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Method: This study employed a cross-sectional design to investigate the relationship between various topics of concern within a specific population throughout a brief timeframe.
Results: The findings indicate that members of the Saudi community possess limited understanding and harbor unfavorable views towards those suffering from mental illness. Many of the participants had a limited understanding of the causes of mental illnesses, and the majority preferred spiritual therapies for psychological illnesses. Community members developed increased awareness and reduced stigmatization towards individuals with mental illness when they had direct contact and proximity to them or when they formed relationships with such individuals.
Conclusion: The study highlights the need for implementing psycho-educational programs that can impart knowledge, foster crucial comprehension, and promote more acceptance and adherence in managing and incorporating the patient's family throughout intervention. Providing education to family caregivers contributes to a decrease in the recurrence rate and a reduction in remaining symptoms of the psychiatric disease, as well as improving the family caregiver's interaction with society.