Family Psychoeducation for Hepatitis C Patients and Their Families: Recommendation for Clinicians

PsychoEducation Responsive to Families for Persons coping with Hepatitis C (HCV-PERF) is a multifamily psychoeducation group model designed to help patients with hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) and their families navigate the illness and improve their readiness for treatment. The purpose of this article is to provide information and recommendations for clinicians interested in using the HCV-PERF model. The article provides details of the intervention model and presents thematic categories that evolved from analysis of interviews with clinicians with experience conducting and facilitating HCV-PERF groups. Based on these findings, recommendations were developed to inform and guide the use of HCV-PERF.     

Integrated Group Program for Improving Sleep Quality of Elderly People

ABSTRACT

This article reports an exploratory study on the effects of an integrated group program for improving the sleep quality of elderly people in Hong Kong. Elderly people aged over 55 who had obtained a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score >5 were recruited as subjects of the study. While 19 subjects of the treatment group were taking part in an integrated group program involving social group work intervention as well as Chinese medicine therapeutics, 9 subjects of comparison group received no intervention. Using a pretest and posttest design, the study revealed positive effects of the integrated group program. It has added knowledge serving the development of interventions that can help to improve the sleep quality of elderly people.