EMPOWERING FAMILIES THROUGH PSYCHOEDUCATION: A STUDY ON CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES abstract

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities often encounter significant challenges that can affect their family’s sense of empowerment. Psychoeducation has been recognized as a valuable tool to provide caregivers with the knowledge, skills, and support they need to enhance their caregiving abilities and overall family empowerment. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a brief psychoeducation module on the family empowerment of caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities. Method: The study was conducted at the Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (RINPAS), Ranchi. A pre-test and posttest design was used with 20 caregivers, who were divided into an experimental group (n=10) and a control group (n=10). The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of psychoeducation over 10 weeks, in addition to their usual treatment, while the control group only received their usual treatment. The Family Empowerment Scale (FES) was utilized to evaluate empowerment levels before and after the intervention. Results: The study showed that the experimental group experienced significant improvements in family empowerment across all domains (“About Your Family,” “About Your Child’s Services,” and “About Your Involvement in the Community”) compared to the control group. There were no significant differences in sociodemographic variables between the groups. Conclusion: The study highlights the efficacy of structured psychoeducation in bolstering the empowerment of caregivers through the provision of vital knowledge, coping strategies, and support. These results indicate that psychoeducation is an invaluable intervention for enhancing the care and overall well-being of families responsible for children with intellectual disabilities.
Keywords:Psychoeducation, family empowerment, caregivers, intellectual disabilities.