Psychoeducation as an Opportunity for Patients, Psychiatrists, and Psychiatric Educators: Why Do We Ignore It?

Abstract

Providing information and educating patients about their illness and options for treatment is an essential part of medical practice. Little is known about medical students' and residents' training in these skills, however. It is well known that cooperation, effective communication, and a good relationship between the psychiatrist, the patient, and the patient's family improve the prognosis of severe mental illness. If the patient and family members are expected to become competent partners and to cooperate in long-term treatment, psychiatrists have to share information about the illness and its treatment with them. As providers of care, psychiatrists obviously have the knowledge and experience that patients and their families do not. The only way to bridge this natural knowledge gap is to share the information in a comprehensible and structured way, in what is known today as psychoeducation. What Is Psychoeducation and Where Does It Help?Psychoeducation is the provision of systematic, relevant, broad, and up-to-date information about an illness or condition, including its diagnosis and treatment. Psychoeducational programs provide both disease-specific information, e.g., early recognition and management of relapse symptoms or any potential genetic implications of the illness and general information, e.g., promotion of healthy lifestyle, problem-solving and communication skills training, identification of stressors in households, and education of family members and primary care takers in their amelioration. Furthermore, psychoeducation includes information on how to explain aspects of living with an illness to family members so that they can understand the effect of the illness and assist the patient and treatment providers in the treatment program.There is evidence that psychoeducation improves the outcomes of mental illness and many other medical illnesses. Family interventions, including psychoeducation for schizophrenia, have proved to be one of the most consistently effective treatment modalities available, with relapse rate reduction at 50-60% over treatment as usual [1,2]. Besides relapse severity reduction, psychoeducation leads to less frequent relapses, better treatment adherence, lower self-stigma, better quality of life, improvement of social competencies, active engagement in rehabilitation, and lower cost of care, either alone or as a part of complex treatment regimen [3][4][5][6][7]. Thus, family psychoeducation is recommended in several schizophrenia treatment guidelines [8][9][10], for example, as an evidence-based intervention.There is similar evidence that psychoeducation and family interventions may reduce the recurrence of bipolar disorders and depression. Psychoeducation and cognitive behavioral therapy are associated with increased time to mood episode relapse or recurrence [11,12]. Preliminary evidence shows that family psychoeducation for patients with depressive disorders improves patient functioning and the well-being of family caregivers [13]. Similarly, psychoeducation seems to reduce...

Treating Schizophrenia: Open Conversations and Stronger Relationships Through Psychoeducation and Shared Decision-Making

“…Although appreciation of insight prior to providing PE is beneficial, providing quality PE to all PLWS regardless of insight is beneficial. In PLWS, PE is one of the most consistently effective treatment modalities, with relapse rate reduction at 50%-60% over treatment as usual (5).…”

“…Clear and essential information should be provided, and basics of the vulnerability-stress model should be addressed to adequately present the need for treatment. Promoting healthy lifestyles, identifying causes of stress, and problem-solving and communication skills are equally important domains of PE (5).…”

“…Regarding promoting strong therapeutic relationships, PE has been shown to improve patient insight, reduce self-stigma and improve social functioning ( 14 , 49 , 50 ). However, while improving insight is a key goal of PE, even patients with high levels of insight may still benefit ( 5 ).…”

“…PE involves providing accurate, relevant and up-to-date information to PLWS as well as to their carers and family (5). PE focuses on improving insight and giving practical support on managing the condition.…”

Making Sense of the Unique Pain of Survivors: A Psychoeducational Approach for Suicide Bereavement

“…Several papers have suggested that group psychoeducation therapy promotes pharmachological adherence ( Colom et al, 2003 ). Other relational, social, and non-pharmacological therapeutic aspects of the psychoeducational intervention are also fundamental in the effectiveness of this therapy ( Motlova et al, 2017 ). Relational and social aspects include understanding and recognizing personal triggers and prodromal symptoms, lifestyle interventions, working on problem-solving and self-management techniques, and improving social support.…”