What do relatives of people with schizophrenia find helpful about family intervention?

While research indicates that family intervention is of benefit to schizophrenia patients and their relatives, it remains unclear why it is beneficial. Methodologies developed in psychotherapy process research may be of use in answering this question. The present study examines the applicability of one such methodology to a clinically based family intervention program. Relatives' (n = 20) reports of what they found helpful and unhelpful about the program were examined and the perceived therapeutic impacts of the program are reported. The implications of these results for future research are discussed.