Development of Care-related Emotional Assessment Measure for Families Caring for Individuals with Severe Mental Disorders - A Mandala-like Understanding of the Caregiving Process

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K14420
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 10030:Clinical psychology-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Shiraishi Nao 名古屋市立大学, 医薬学総合研究院(医学), 助教 (30632989)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 家族介入 / 尺度開発 / 精神病性障害 / ポジティブ感情 / 介護負担 / 首尾一貫感覚

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Care-Related Emotion Assessment Measure developed in this study demonstrated robust structural validity, encompassing one positive emotion subscale and two negative emotion subscales. Moreover, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the former was 0.92, indicating substantial internal consistency, while the coefficients for the latter were 0.93 and 0.95, showing excellent internal consistency.
To elucidate potential focal points for novel interventions, we examined the role of caregiving burden and sense of coherence as mediating factors between the functional disabilities of patients with psychotic disorders and the negative and positive emotions of their siblings, using a covariance structure analysis. The results suggested that an approach that simultaneously addresses both caregiving burden and sense of coherence could be effective in supporting siblings emotionally. The obtained results were published in PCN Reports (https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.55, 2022).

Free Research Field

臨床心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

感情は、個人の主観的な苦痛や苦悩を規定する重要な内的体験であるが、統合失調症を始めとする重度精神障害者のケアに関連して家族が抱く感情のネガティブおよびポジティブ両面からの総体的な評価はほとんど行われていない。本研究は、重度精神障害者のケアに関連した家族の感情を評価できる新規尺度を作成し、その信頼性・妥当性を検証して実用化することで、ケアのどのような側面が家族に不安や怒り、抑うつなどの感情を引き起こすかを明らかにし、新たな介入の着眼点を明らかにする社会的な意義を有した。