Testing carer skill training programs in Spanish carers of patients with eating disorders

Background: The aim of this research was to conduct a pilot study to measure the effectiveness of the Collaborative Care Skills Training Workshops (CCSTW) on the outcomes of Spanish carers and to analyse the impact of this programme on the patient's wellbeing. We used psychoeducation as a comparison intervention in the study. Method: The study compared two forms of carer workshops. 64 carers and 37 eating disorder patients participated in this study. Carers were randomised to either the CCSTW or the Psycho-educational programme. This study used an experimental intervention design with evaluations before, after and at a 3-month follow-up. Results: Carers receiving both intervention programmes showed an improvement in wellbeing indicating a benefit from the training. The course of burden, psychological distress, expressed emotion and illness perception was similar in the two groups. In patients whose caregivers had participated in CCSTW programme the levels of anxiety, depression and psychological distress decreased. Conclusions: These findings suggest that carer distress, burden, illness perception and expressed emotion can be alleviated if they are helped in this role. There appear to be secondary benefits of the CCSTW on patients' wellbeing.