Empowerment among treatment-engaged individuals living with schizophrenia in Tanzania
Abstract Purpose As low-resource settings move to address the treatment and social service gap for people living with schizophrenia (PLWS), person-centered and recovery-oriented interventions should monitor impacts on empowerment. This study explores empowerment and associated factors among PLWS in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06700-y |
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| author | Madeline Jin Van Husen Sylvia Kaaya Praxeda Swai Paul Sarea Lawala Beatrice Thadei Anna Minja Jennifer Headley Joseph R. Egger Joy Noel Baumgartner |
| author_facet | Madeline Jin Van Husen Sylvia Kaaya Praxeda Swai Paul Sarea Lawala Beatrice Thadei Anna Minja Jennifer Headley Joseph R. Egger Joy Noel Baumgartner |
| author_sort | Madeline Jin Van Husen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Purpose As low-resource settings move to address the treatment and social service gap for people living with schizophrenia (PLWS), person-centered and recovery-oriented interventions should monitor impacts on empowerment. This study explores empowerment and associated factors among PLWS in Tanzania. Methods This study uses endline data from the Culturally Adapted Family Psychoeducation for Adults with Psychotic Disorders in Tanzania (KUPAA) pilot trial. Participants included 66 dyads of PLWS and caregivers recruited from two tertiary-level hospitals. The main outcome variable of interest was empowerment (Rogers 28-item Empowerment Scale), and the main exposure variable was Participation in Society (Domain 6 of the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule, WHODAS 2.0). Key psychosocial correlates of interest included hopefulness, general self-efficacy, internalized stigma, and family functioning. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to explore variable relationships. Results There were 21 women and 40 men with a mean age of 32 years. Bivariate analyses revealed greater participation in society (p < 0.0003) was correlated with greater empowerment, higher hopefulness (p < 0.0001) and higher self-efficacy (p < 0.0001). Lower empowerment was correlated with higher self-stigma (p < 0.0001) and worse family functioning (p < .001). Multivariable models indicated more participation in society was associated with higher empowerment, but when hope, self-efficacy, internalized stigma, and/or family functioning were added to the models, those factors were more strongly correlated with empowerment than participation in society. Conclusion Empowerment is increasingly being recognized as an important outcome of psychosocial interventions. Understanding empowerment and its possible effects on recovery-centered outcomes is important when thinking of future interventions for PLWS in low-resource settings. Future recovery-oriented interventions and research should both consider including empowerment measurement among PLWS and incorporate their lived experiences in psychosocial treatment programming. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7c84fa9dc13c438c83bd295cdf6ad559 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1471-244X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-7c84fa9dc13c438c83bd295cdf6ad5592025-08-20T02:11:11ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2025-04-0125111110.1186/s12888-025-06700-yEmpowerment among treatment-engaged individuals living with schizophrenia in TanzaniaMadeline Jin Van Husen0Sylvia Kaaya1Praxeda Swai2Paul Sarea Lawala3Beatrice Thadei4Anna Minja5Jennifer Headley6Joseph R. Egger7Joy Noel Baumgartner8School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Muhimbili National Hospital, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied SciencesDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Muhimbili National Hospital, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied SciencesDepartment of Psychiatry, Mbeya Zonal Referral HospitalDepartment of Psychiatry, Mbeya Zonal Referral HospitalDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, Muhimbili National Hospital, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied SciencesTEACCH Autism Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDuke Global Health Institute, Duke UniversitySchool of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillAbstract Purpose As low-resource settings move to address the treatment and social service gap for people living with schizophrenia (PLWS), person-centered and recovery-oriented interventions should monitor impacts on empowerment. This study explores empowerment and associated factors among PLWS in Tanzania. Methods This study uses endline data from the Culturally Adapted Family Psychoeducation for Adults with Psychotic Disorders in Tanzania (KUPAA) pilot trial. Participants included 66 dyads of PLWS and caregivers recruited from two tertiary-level hospitals. The main outcome variable of interest was empowerment (Rogers 28-item Empowerment Scale), and the main exposure variable was Participation in Society (Domain 6 of the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule, WHODAS 2.0). Key psychosocial correlates of interest included hopefulness, general self-efficacy, internalized stigma, and family functioning. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to explore variable relationships. Results There were 21 women and 40 men with a mean age of 32 years. Bivariate analyses revealed greater participation in society (p < 0.0003) was correlated with greater empowerment, higher hopefulness (p < 0.0001) and higher self-efficacy (p < 0.0001). Lower empowerment was correlated with higher self-stigma (p < 0.0001) and worse family functioning (p < .001). Multivariable models indicated more participation in society was associated with higher empowerment, but when hope, self-efficacy, internalized stigma, and/or family functioning were added to the models, those factors were more strongly correlated with empowerment than participation in society. Conclusion Empowerment is increasingly being recognized as an important outcome of psychosocial interventions. Understanding empowerment and its possible effects on recovery-centered outcomes is important when thinking of future interventions for PLWS in low-resource settings. Future recovery-oriented interventions and research should both consider including empowerment measurement among PLWS and incorporate their lived experiences in psychosocial treatment programming.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06700-ySchizophreniaPsychosisEmpowermentMental healthLow-resource settingHope |
| spellingShingle | Madeline Jin Van Husen Sylvia Kaaya Praxeda Swai Paul Sarea Lawala Beatrice Thadei Anna Minja Jennifer Headley Joseph R. Egger Joy Noel Baumgartner Empowerment among treatment-engaged individuals living with schizophrenia in Tanzania BMC Psychiatry Schizophrenia Psychosis Empowerment Mental health Low-resource setting Hope |
| title | Empowerment among treatment-engaged individuals living with schizophrenia in Tanzania |
| title_full | Empowerment among treatment-engaged individuals living with schizophrenia in Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | Empowerment among treatment-engaged individuals living with schizophrenia in Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Empowerment among treatment-engaged individuals living with schizophrenia in Tanzania |
| title_short | Empowerment among treatment-engaged individuals living with schizophrenia in Tanzania |
| title_sort | empowerment among treatment engaged individuals living with schizophrenia in tanzania |
| topic | Schizophrenia Psychosis Empowerment Mental health Low-resource setting Hope |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06700-y |
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