%0 Journal Article
%T Family-Based Tuberculosis Counseling Supports Directly Observed Therapy in Armenia: A Pilot Project
%J Journal of Tuberculosis Research
%P 113-124
%@ 2329-8448
%D 2018
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/jtr.2018.62011
%X Objectives: Non-adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment causes development of multi-drug resistance (MDR). In Armenia, about 47% of previously-treated TB patients develop MDR-TB. This pilot intervention intended to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of a family-based-counseling (FBC) that included a psychological component in terms of improved adherence of TB patients to treatment and reduced stigma of TB. Methods: Overall, 136 regular TB patients (55) and their family members (81) participated in a single 90-minute interactive counseling session conducted in each household by the team of professional psychologist and TB nurse. To evaluate FBC effectiveness, we administered baseline and follow-up surveys to 52 TB patients and their 57 family members in 2012 and compared treatment outcomes of the study participants with the national data for 2011 and 2013. Results: We found that the intervention substantially improved the mean knowledge score of TB patients (from 19.2 to 21.6, p < 0.001) and family members (from 18.0 to 21.7, p < 0.001). Percent of study participants thinking that TB was not negatively impacting their family relationships increased from 60% at baseline to 71% at follow-up. Following family-based counseling, there were notable improvements in interpersonal relationships within families, increased family support for TB patients and improved adherence to treatment which resulted in zero ˇ°defaultˇ± rate for treatment outcomes among the family-based counseling participants compared to 5% ˇ°defaultˇ± in the comparison group (p = 0.07). Conclusion: The evaluation showed that a low-cost one-time family¨C based educational intervention with a psychological component can be effective in improving treatment outcomes of TB patients.
%K Tuberculosis
%K Family Support
%K Counseling
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=84522