The Role of Shared Decision-Making in Promoting Family Participation in Treatment for Adolescents and Young Adults with First-Episode Psychosis.

We aimed to examine the role of shared decision-making (SDM) in family participation in the treatment of adolescents and young adults with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Based on responses of 144 family members of OnTrackNY (OTNY) participants, we divided the sample into low participators and high participators. We calculated the total SDM score for each participant by summing the ratings across items inquiring about SDM and assessed the extent to which loved ones encouraged family participation in their care. Our results indicated that the level of loved ones' encouragement was significantly related to family participation. When controlling for loved ones' encouragement, we found that the total SDM score was significantly higher in the high participator group. These findings suggest that SDM may be influenced by loved ones' attitudes towards family involvement in treatment and SDM may play a role in promoting family participation in care for individuals with FEP.