Family Psychoeducation and Peer-Led Support Groups: Impact on Caregiver Burden and Recovery Outcomes in Indian Cultural Contexts

Authors

  • Dr. Ankesh Anand Independent Researcher, Psychology, Patna-800013 (Bihar) Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36676/jrps.v17.i2.368

Keywords:

Family Psychoeducation, Peer-Led Support Groups, Caregiver Burden, Mental Health Recovery, Indian Cultural Contexts.

Abstract

Indian mental health caregiving is also family-oriented because there are few institutional mental health care facilities and because of high cultural reliance on family systems. The psychosocial stress, social stigma and financial burden that accompany the long-term caregiving burden on mental patients are common among the caregivers attending to mentally ill individuals. This is a review paper that explores the importance of family psychoeducation and peer-led support groups in alleviating the burden of caregivers and enhancing recoveries in people with mental illness within the Indian cultural settings. The paper emphasizes the concepts of family psychoeducation, such as awareness, communication improvement, relapse prevention, and emotional support. It also delves into the significance of the peer-led support groups to enhance resilience, social connectedness, and recovery-focused care. According to existing literature, psychoeducational and peer-support interventions have a positive impact on treatment adherence, emotional well-being, family functioning, and social inclusion. The review highlights the importance of culturally competent and community-based mental health services to enhance caregivers support systems and overall mental health outcomes in India.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] C. Brooke-sumner et al., “Developing peer-led recovery groups (PRIZE) for people with psychosis and their caregivers in a low resource South African setting,” SSM - Ment. Heal., vol. 6, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2024.100370. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2024.100370

[2] J. Raj, N. Goyal, and M. Senthil, “Family Mental Health in India: A 10-Year Systematic Review,” Int. J. Indian Psychol., vol. 13, no. 4, 2025, doi: 10.25215/1304.155.

[3] Y. Miyamoto and T. Sono, “Lessons from Peer Support Among Individuals with Mental Health Difficulties: A Review of the Literature,” Clin. Pract. Epidemiol. Ment. Heal., vol. 8, pp. 22–29, 2012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017901208010022

[4] M. Isaac, “Cross‑cultural Differences in Caregiving: The Relevance to Community Care in India,” Indian J Soc Psychiatry, pp. 25–27, 2016, doi: 10.4103/0971-9962.176763. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/0971-9962.176763

[5] A. Caqueo-Urízar, L. Carrillo-Alave, and F. Ponce-Correa, “Cultural identity as a determinant of caregiving burden and quality of life in indigenous family caregivers of people with schizophrenia,” Front. Psychol., pp. 1–8, 2026, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1750195. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1750195

[6] A. Tessier, K. Roger, A. Gregoire, P. Desnavailles, and D. Misdrahi, “Family psychoeducation to improve outcome in caregivers and patients with schizophrenia: a randomized clinical trial,” Front. Psychiatry, pp. 1–9, 2023, doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1171661. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1171661

[7] A. Thirunavukkarasu and E. M. Zawawi, “A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Caregiver Burden in Schizophrenia Care: Findings from Western Saudi Arabia with Policy Implications for Preventive Mental Healthcare,” Healthcare, vol. 14, no. 55, pp. 1–14, 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14010055

[8] O. Silaule, D. Casteleijn, F. Adams, and N. G. Nkosi, “Strategies to Alleviate the Burden Experienced by Informal Caregivers of Persons With Severe Mental Disorders in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Scoping Review,” Interact. J. Med. Res., vol. 13, 2024, doi: 10.2196/48587. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/48587

[9] R. Di Lorenzo, A. Dardi, V. Serafini, M. J. Amorado, P. Ferri, and T. Filippini, “Psychoeducational Intervention for Caregivers of Adolescents and Young Adults with Psychiatric Disorders: A 7-Year Systematic Review,” J. Clinial Med., pp. 1–26, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13237010

[10] C. He, N. Evans, and H. Graham, “Group-based caregiver support interventions for children living with disabilities in low-and- middle-income countries: Narrative review and analysis of content, outcomes, and implementation factors,” J. Glob. Health, vol. 14, 2024, doi: 10.7189/jogh.14.04055. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.14.04055

[11] R. A. H. Shalaby and V. I. O. Agyapong, “Peer Support in Mental Health: Literature Review,” JMIR Ment. Heal., vol. 7, no. 6, 2020, doi: 10.2196/15572. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/15572

[12] N. Ghenaati, H. R. Zendehtalab, M. Namazinia, and M. Zare, “Peer support groups and care burden in hemodialysis caregivers: a RCT in an Iranian healthcare setting,” BMC Nephrol., vol. 25, no. 371, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-024-03811-8

[13] M. B. Simmons, S. Cartner, R. Macdonald, S. Whitson, A. Bailey, and E. Brown, “The effectiveness of peer support from a person with lived experience of mental health challenges for young people with anxiety and depression: a systematic review,” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 23, no. 194, pp. 1–20, 2023, doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-04578-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04578-2

[14] N. Yasuma et al., “Effects of brief family psychoeducation on family caregiver burden of people with schizophrenia provided by psychiatric visiting nurses: a cluster randomised controlled trial,” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 24, no. 445, pp. 1–12, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-05884-z

[15] D. S. Singh, N. Parveen, D. R. Tiwari, and M. V. K. Tiwari, “Study on the Role of HR Managers in Risk Revolving Around COVID-19,” Int. J. Innov. Sci. Eng. Manag. Study, vol. 3, no. 2, 2024, doi: 10.69968/ijisem.2024v3si2301-305.

[16] A. Kenea and S. N. Morankar, “Effect of psychoeducation in reducing caregiver burden among family caregivers of people with mental disorders in Western Ethiopia, 2021–2022: A pre-test post-test study,” PLoS One, pp. 2021–2022, 2026, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0345260. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0345260

[17] V. Nongbsap, S. Negi, A. Paul, V. S. And, and J. Raj, “FAMILY THERAPY IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE: A NARRATIVE REVIEW WITH INDIAN CONTEXTUAL AND PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVES,” Int. J. Adv. Res., vol. 14, no. 02, pp. 30–40, 2026, doi: 10.21474/IJAR01/22713. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/22713

[18] D. Panicker, A. U. Joshi, A. A. V P, and J. M. Raut, “Association of caregiver’s burden and mental health status in caregivers of patients with cancer from central rural India: a mixed- method study protocol,” BMJ Open, 2026, doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-109706. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-109706

[19] B. Puschner et al., “Effectiveness of peer support for people with severe mental health conditions in high-, middle- and low-income countries: multicentre randomised controlled trial,” Br. J. Psychiatry, pp. 1–9, 2025, doi: 10.1192/bjp.2025.10299. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2025.10299

[20] J. S. Parmar et al., “The Impact of a Peer Support Program on the Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Postgraduate Health Students During COVID-19: A Qualitative Study,” Educ. Sci., vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 1–20, 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030273

[21] H. Kalra and S. Tung, “The effect of psychoeducational interventions on family functioning in caregivers of individuals with alcohol use disorder,” Indian J Psychiatr Soc Work, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 7–14, 2025, doi: 10.29120/IJPSW.2025.v16.i2.661.

[22] A. Taksal et al., “Patient- and family-reported experiences of their treating teams in early psychosis services in Chennai, India and Montreal, Canada,” Asian J. Psychiatr., vol. 98, p. 104118, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104118

[23] Y. Hendro, D. E. Putri, and Renidayati, “The Influence of Family Psychoeducation on Family Knowledge, Ability and Burden in the Care of People with Schizophrenia at the Psychiatric Polyclinic of Pariaman Hospital,” Int. J. Sci. Soc., vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 457–474, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54783/ijsoc.v6i1.1028

[24] S. G. Thimmajja and E. victoria lazarus Rathinasamy, “Effectiveness of psycho-education on knowledge regarding schizophrenia and caregivers’ burden among caregivers of patients with schizophrenia – a randomized controlled tria,” Fam. Med. Prim. Care Rev., vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 104–111, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/fmpcr.2019.84552

Downloads

Published

22-05-2026

Issue

Section

Research Articles

How to Cite

Family Psychoeducation and Peer-Led Support Groups: Impact on Caregiver Burden and Recovery Outcomes in Indian Cultural Contexts. (2026). International Journal for Research Publication and Seminar, 17(2), 58-68. https://doi.org/10.36676/jrps.v17.i2.368

Similar Articles

1-10 of 129

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.