FROM FINANCIAL STRAIN TO FINANCIAL CAPABILITY: OUTCOMES OF A FAMILY CAREGIVER TRAINING PROGRAM IN SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS
Author(s)
Divya Sharma, MPH1, Jyoti Yadav, MPH2, Tanvi Kiran, Ph.D2;
1Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Student, Chandigarh, India, 2Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
1Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Student, Chandigarh, India, 2Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of a structured family caregiver training program in improving financial capability outcomes, including financial planning, financial management, and financial literacy, as measured by changes in Comprehensive Financial Capability Assessment (CFCA) scores among family caregivers of persons with severe mental illness in a tertiary healthcare setting.
METHODS: A pre-post intervention study was conducted among 270 family caregivers of persons with severe mental illness attending the Psychiatry Department at PGIMER, a tertiary care hospital in Chandigarh, India. Caregivers received a single structured training session that combined counselling, encouragement, and targeted financial education delivered through standardized Information, Education, and Communication materials. Financial capability was measured at baseline and three months post-intervention using the validated CFCA tool. Changes in financial planning and management, along with financial literacy, were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
RESULTS: Caregivers were predominantly aged 31-45 years (37.5%); 67% were male, 85.9% were married, and 50.2% resided in rural areas with education up to high school (29%). Financial capability was assessed using the CFCA tool, a validated instrument supported by content validation and confirmatory factor analysis. Post-intervention analyses demonstrated significant gains in financial capability domains. Compared with baseline, using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, overall financial planning and management scores improved markedly (Z = −10.524, p < 0.001), alongside substantial gains in financial literacy (Z = −13.662, p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: A brief, structured caregiver training intervention produced substantial short-term improvements in financial planning, management, and literacy among family caregivers of persons with severe mental illness. By strengthening financial capability, a key but often overlooked economic outcome in mental health care, this low-resource intervention demonstrates clear potential to improve economic resilience and caregiving efficiency. The findings support integrating caregiver-focused financial capability training into mental health services as a scalable, value-oriented strategy with relevance for outcomes-based decision-making.
METHODS: A pre-post intervention study was conducted among 270 family caregivers of persons with severe mental illness attending the Psychiatry Department at PGIMER, a tertiary care hospital in Chandigarh, India. Caregivers received a single structured training session that combined counselling, encouragement, and targeted financial education delivered through standardized Information, Education, and Communication materials. Financial capability was measured at baseline and three months post-intervention using the validated CFCA tool. Changes in financial planning and management, along with financial literacy, were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
RESULTS: Caregivers were predominantly aged 31-45 years (37.5%); 67% were male, 85.9% were married, and 50.2% resided in rural areas with education up to high school (29%). Financial capability was assessed using the CFCA tool, a validated instrument supported by content validation and confirmatory factor analysis. Post-intervention analyses demonstrated significant gains in financial capability domains. Compared with baseline, using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, overall financial planning and management scores improved markedly (Z = −10.524, p < 0.001), alongside substantial gains in financial literacy (Z = −13.662, p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: A brief, structured caregiver training intervention produced substantial short-term improvements in financial planning, management, and literacy among family caregivers of persons with severe mental illness. By strengthening financial capability, a key but often overlooked economic outcome in mental health care, this low-resource intervention demonstrates clear potential to improve economic resilience and caregiving efficiency. The findings support integrating caregiver-focused financial capability training into mental health services as a scalable, value-oriented strategy with relevance for outcomes-based decision-making.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
EPH151
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Public Health
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas