Hospital Practices and Research

Abstract Background: Parents of children with bipolar II disorder often experience a substantial caregiver burden, encompassing emotional, psychological, and practical challenges. This burden can negatively affect both the parents' well-being and the overall family functioning.
Objectives: This study investigated the effectiveness of family-focused therapy in reducing caregiver burden among parents of children with bipolar II disorder.
Methods: This quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test control group study investigated the effects of family-focused therapy on caregiver burden. Thirty parents of children with bipolar II disorder, recruited from counseling services in Isfahan, Iran in 2023, were randomly assigned to either a family-focused therapy group (n = 15) receiving nine 120-minute sessions or a waiting-list control group (n = 15). All participants completed the Caregiver Burden Inventory at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS v.26.
Results: In the family-focused therapy group, the mean caregiver burden scores showed a significant reduction from the pre-test (81.78 ± 8.63) to the post-test (54.50 ± 7.52), with partial maintenance of this reduction observed at the three-month follow-up (58.36 ± 6.63). Family-focused therapy had a statistically significant impact on caregiver burden (P <0.01), specifically on the time-related, developmental, and social burden subscales, as well as the total caregiver burden score at both post-test and follow-up assessments.
Conclusion: This study found that family-focused therapy effectively reduced caregiver burden in parents of children with bipolar II disorder. These results suggest that family-focused therapy is a valuable tool for enhancing the quality of life for caregivers.