Les perceptions de personnes atteintes de troubles mentaux suite à une formation de gestion de comportements agressifs adaptée par et pour leurs membres de familles

Literature reports that between 10% and 40% of people with mental disorders showed aggressive behavior since establishing the diagnosis, and between 50% and 65% of these behaviors are perpetrated against members of the family (Estroff et al. 1998). However, caregivers often feel helpless in the face of impulsive and aggressive behavior of their loved one with a mental health disorder (Bonin & Lavoie-Tremblay, 2010) and the majority of caregivers do not receive professional support (Doornbos, 2001). For this purpose, a team of researchers and community organizations have established a training adapted by and for families in relation to the management of aggressive behavior of their loved one with a mental health disorder based on Community OMEGA approach (Bonin et al., 2011). This research was inspired by the Fresan and collaborators' model (2007), which includes families and their loved ones achieved in the prevention of relapse and recovery thereof. Using a mixed-design, the study aimed to describe and analyze, perceptions of aggression, family functioning and adherence to medical treatment of people with mental disorders, following a training about aggressive behavior management training adapted by and for family members and to which their caregiver attended. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed and completed by 25 people and included three instruments: 1. a sociodemographic questionnaire; 2) the Basis-24 (Eisen, 2007) to assess the mental condition of the person; 3. the perception of aggressiveness scale (POAS) to measure the frequency and the level of aggressive behavior (De Benedictis et al., 2011; and 4. the family assessment device (FAD) to measure family functioning (Epstein, Baldwin, & Bishop, 1983). Additional questions to the questionnaire focused on adherence to medical treatment and the observed changes. Descriptive correlative analyzes and T-test were performed to analyze quantitative data. Thereafter, individual interviews were held with eight persons with mental disorders whose family member was trained in management of aggressive behavior. The classical method of analysis of Miles and Huberman (2003) was used to perform data analysis. The data analysis allowed to identified the perceptions of people with mental disorders with regard to training in managing aggressive behavior that their family member had followed. Thus, the OMEGA training program adapted by and for family members would help on the one hand reducing aggression and on the other hand, improve family atmosphere. Moreover, according to the persons with mental disorders, their family member was more attentive and less intrusive, which decreased conflict and promoted better family dynamics. This study has highlighted the need to involve families in prevention programs about relapse of mental illness in primary care. This study contributes to the improvement of knowledge on the patient and family dynamics and on the recovery of people with mental disorders. Also, this research provides recommendations for research, practice, education and management in nursing.

Keyphrases: Violence, Mental illness, Family, Aggressiveness, Family interventions, Psychoeducation