Communication Targets and Applications for Family Members of People With Early Psychosis and Substance Use.

AIM: Poor family communication can worsen early psychosis and substance use outcomes. While families find communication skills valuable, which components to offer in resource-limited settings remain unclear. This study identified communication strengths/areas of improvement, conversations families wanted to practise, and their communication happiness with their relative versus people generally.

METHOD: Family members (N = 36) of relatives with early psychosis and substance use participated in communication coaching. Strengths/areas of improvement and role-play content were rated from session recordings and progress notes. Self-report items assessed communication happiness.

RESULTS

Participants aimed to improve being brief (44%), specific and clear (39%) and offering help (36%). Role-plays focused on independence (44.1%), substance use (29.4%) and mental health treatment (17.6%). Participants reported greater communication happiness with others than with their relative (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Families wanted to improve communication, brevity, clarity and effectively offer help, particularly to foster independence with their relative with early psychosis and substance use.