RESEARCH WEEKLY: Resource Groups Increase Empowerment of People with Severe Mental Illness By Sophie Ali Recovery-oriented care has been emphasized for the treatment of individuals with severe mental illness and a key principle of this care is establishing social context in treatment by involving family members and friends. According to new research published in JAMA Psychiatry, the use of resource groups as a treatment, which includes family and friends of the individual, improves empowerment and other mental health outcomes for people with severe mental illness. Resource groups as empowerment mechanisms Resource groups consist of family, friends and formal professionals who maintain involvement in their loved one’s treatment for severe mental illness. The collaborative nature of these groups fortifies support in the recovery process by providing quarterly meeting times to discuss the patient’s recovery goals and developing a plan for meeting them. The resource group method itself is thought to enable the patient to serve as a “director” of their own resource group and take a lead in shaping the support that meets their needs and aspirations. Researchers believe this facilitates the empowerment of patients, giving them more control over their life. Empowerment is one measure associated with recovery-oriented mental health care. Researchers in the Netherlands investigated if the integration of resource groups with community treatment had favorable effects on empowerment and other outcomes such as quality of life and functioning in individuals with severe mental illness. Study details and results In a randomized clinical trial conducted from 2017 to 2020 in the Netherlands, 158 adult participants were randomly assigned to receive either treatment as usual or the treatment as usual with the addition of a resource group. Treatment as usual followed flexible assertive community treatment (FACT), which consists of standard multidisciplinary treatment with no structured involvement of a patient’s significant others. In the resource group, patients drafted their resource group plans, including short and long-term recovery goals, with a mental health professional. The patient’s chosen significant others were then invited to work toward those goals. Resource group meetings occurred quarterly to evaluate the patient’s plan and progress. Primary analysis of the results showed a greater increase in empowerment over time in the resource group condition compared to the FACT as usual. In addition, the resource group condition demonstrated superior outcomes in quality of life, personal recovery, disability and social functioning. Moreover, participants in this condition had greater satisfaction with their treatment at nine and 18 months compared to the FACT as usual condition. Implications This is the first study to examine the effectiveness of resource groups for individuals with severe mental illness. As mentioned in the results, empowerment was the prominent outcome of the resource group intervention. While empowerment is not a traditional outcome, it functions as an effective strategy for changing health behaviors and improving mental health outcomes. Consequently, the structured nature of the resource group method underscores the important role of a familial and social network in the process of empowerment. Moving forward, replication of this study is necessary in other settings to continue progressing toward recovery-oriented care. References Tjaden, C., Mulder, C. L., den Hollander, W., et al. (2021). Effectiveness of resource groups for improving empowerment, quality of life, and functioning of people with severe mental illness: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. Sophie Ali is a research intern at the Treatment Advocacy Center. View as Webpage To receive Research Weekly directly in your email inbox on a weekly basis, click here. Questions? Contact us at [email protected] Research Weekly is a summary published as a public service of the Treatment Advocacy Center and does not necessarily reflect the findings or positions of the organization or its staff. Full access to research summarized may require a fee or paid subscription to the publications. The Treatment Advocacy Center does not solicit or accept funds from pharmaceutical companies. Treatment Advocacy Center | 200 N Glebe Rd, Ste 801, Arlington, VA 22203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!