Effectiveness of two models of brief family education: Retention of gains by family members of adults with serious mental illness

The retention of benefits from two models of family education was compared with maturational effects in an untreated control group. The three-month interventions showed an initial effect for self-efficacy regarding a mentally ill relative that did not significantly diminish during the following six months. However, no significant differences on this measure were found between the treated groups and the untreated controls. Ways of refining the interventions and measures so as to improve gains and retain them over time are discussed.