Development of family resource indicators for people with schizophrenic disorder in community by modified Delphi method in Beijing, China

Abstract

Introduction Most people with schizophrenia in China are supported by their family members in community. The patient’s family is confronted with severe care burden and pressure, which directly affects the caregiver’s own health and social life, and indirectly affects the patient’s rehabilitation. Adequate family resources can reduce the burden and pressure on families. But there is an absence of systematic family resource indicators for people with schizophrenic disorder in China.Objectives This study aimed to develop a set of family resource indicators for people with schizophrenic disorder in China.Design Preliminary family resource indicators were generated and refined by literature review and an expert consultation meeting. Two rounds of email-based Delphi survey were carried out to identify family resource indicators.Setting Two rounds of email-based Delphi survey were performed from July to September 2021 in Beijing, China.Participants There were 15 mental health doctors from community health service centres and four psychiatrists from tertiary hospitals, and two primary care researchers from universities in the first and second rounds Delphi survey.Results All the 21 experts participated in both rounds of Delphi survey. A total of 46 indicators achieved consensus for inclusion in the final set of indicators after two rounds of Delphi survey. The final set of indicators was grouped into 10 domains: financial support (three indicators), psychological and spiritual support (eight indicators), medical treatment (three indicators), information and education (three indicators), structural support (two indicators), external family resources included social resources (five indicators), cultural resources (two indicators), economic resources (seven indicators), environmental resources (four indicators) and medical resources (nine indicators).Conclusions A set of 46 family resource indicators for people with schizophrenic disorder in community was identified by an iterative Delphi process in Beijing, China. However, the indicators still need to be validated by testing in further studies.