The effectiveness of family motivational interviewing in improving families’ ability to motivate people with severe mental illness in Indonesia

The effectiveness of family motivational interviewing in improving families' ability to motivate people with severe mental illness in Indonesia M ental illness is a leading cause of disability, requiring substantial treatment costs.The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies mental health as a priority by empowering communities and individuals to achieve the highest health standards through ensuring mental and physical well-being. [1]Based on the 2020 performance report of the West Java Provincial Health Office, only 74% of the population experiencing severe mental illness (SMI) received health services.The number of people with SMI in the city of Ban-dung (the capital of West Java Province) is 3,068, spread across 30 sub-districts.The highest numbers are reported in four sub-districts: Kiaracondong, Buah Batu, Bojongloa Kaler, and Cibeunying.The high prevalence of SMI cases with uncontrolled access to mental health services prompted the Bandung City Health Office to establish a Mental Health Alert Village to prevent patient relapse. [2]e role and function of family care are crucial in supporting sick family members to improve overall family health status.Objectives: This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of family motivational interviewing in improving families' ability to motivate people with severe mental illness (SMI) in Indonesia.Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental pre-posttest design with a control group.Sampling was conducted using proportionate stratified random sampling of families with members diagnosed with severe mental illness, as recorded in the mental health report at the Babakan Sari Public Health Center during the January-December 2022 period (n=62).The intervention group received family motivational interviewing for four weeks.Family ability was measured using the Family Motivational Interview (FMI) instrument.Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and independent t-tests.Results: A significant difference was found between the intervention and control groups after the motivational interviewing intervention in terms of the family's ability to motivate individuals with SMI (p-value < 0.01).These results indicate that family motivational interviewing effectively improves families' ability to encourage medication adherence and regular performance of activities of daily living among people with severe mental illness.Conclusion: Family motivational interviewing is effective in enhancing families' ability to motivate individuals with SMI.It is hoped that this approach can serve as a supportive medium to boost motivation among people with SMI.Community nurses are encouraged to continuously provide information and motivation to families accessing primary health care services.Further research is recommended to evaluate the long-term effects of family motivational interviewing on health outcomes in individuals with severe mental illness.