A Caregiver Support Group for Early Psychosis
Ken Farbstein, MPP¹, Barbara Worsley, RN²
¹ Justice Resource Institute
² Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Northeast Area
Background: Psychosis is frightening to caregivers, who benefit greatly from learning about evidence-based treatment for this dread disease. Parents—especially mothers--are truly the primary care providers for their loved ones with psychosis and are generally unaware of the nature and symptoms of psychosis and of the variety of effective treatments for it.
Methods: An online support group on Zoom, led by a father with lived personal and professional experience and by the DMH Director of Family Driven Practice, who is a Mother with both lived and professional experience. Useful resources are made available to participants after the meetings by email. Participants have initiated the use of a WhatsApp group to continue their conversations in between the monthly support group meetings.
Results: This new support group has met monthly since May 2026, serving dozens of parents, primarily in Northeastern Massachusetts. Participants have favorably evaluated the group. Of the participants in the first meeting, 67% participated in the group’s second or third meeting.
Conclusion: The number of participants indicates that this interests the adult caregivers of people with early psychosis.