Integrating culturally based approaches with existing interventions for Hispanic/Latino families coping with schizophrenia

Evidence suggests that schizophrenia is highly responsive to the sociocultural and emotional atmosphere of the family. Therapies have shown an improvement in schizophrenia symptoms following family-oriented interventions. However, most programs are developed and offered in English only, and few are culturally informed. Existing programs may fail to meet the needs of minorities, particularly Hispanics/Latinos, the largest minority group in the United States. In this article, a broad literature is reviewed, which strongly supports the integration of culturally based treatment approaches with existing psychoeducational family-focused interventions to enhance treatment programs for Hispanic/Latino patients and families coping with schizophrenia. On the basis of this conceptual integration, an intervention titled "culturally informed therapy for schizophrenia" is described.