Learn from valuable and the most recent research findings in health and clinical psychology

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All the necessary information from the clinical and health psychology research.

 

Psychoeducation is a seminar-based education providing necessary information about:

  • symptoms;
  • illness aetiology;
  • treatment and therapy.

The aim of psychoeducation is to provide information in order to support:

  • a better understanding of a health condition;
  • informed decisions;
  • adoption of helpful behaviour;
  • modification of dysfunctional for the therapy perceptions;
  • coping with symptoms and symptoms’ amelioration;
  • patients’ empowerment aiming at symptoms’ stabilization;
  • empowerment of patients during their therapy.
“Health psychology views illness as a state at a continuum, which can be behaviourally influenced. Neither sickness circumscribes well-being, nor does health.”

How does Psychoeducation work?

Psychoeducation is an education based on seminars that provide all necessary information about an illness and its symptoms, treatment and cure.

The goal of psychoeducation is to inform and enhance the understanding of an illness, optimize decisions and assist the management of illnesses and their symptoms, as well as enhance prevention.

As such, psychoeducation enhances the communication with mental health specialists and patients to make informed decisions (Gonzalez-Soria et al., 2016, Xia et al., 2011). In addition, psychoeducation helps to reduce the fear, avoidance behaviour and overall confidence to therapy (Hornung, Klingberg, Feldmann, Schonauer & Mönkling, 1998).

There are many researchers suggesting that the management of an illness also relies on two very important factors: the improvement of the patients’ confidence for the future course of an illness and before that, the improvement of their control over their illness, whereas empowering them with all necessary information plays a catalytic role. Improved hope for the future, confidence and a person’s sense of control over the illness are proved important both when it comes to patients of general medical conditions (McGuire, Stojanovijc-Radic, Strober & Chiaravallotti, 2015; Mustafa, Carson-Stevens, Gillespie & Edwards, 2013) and mental patients (Birchwood et al., 1993; Giráldez, Fernández, Iglesias, Pedrero & Paino, 2011; Lysaker & Buck, 2008; Robert & Wolfson, 2014).

How much effective can psychoeducation be?

Meta-analytical researches, which statistically re-analyze research findings of already published studies on the effects of psychoeducation, suggest that psychoeducational interventions have an overall positive impact not merely on psychological markers such as anxiety etc., but also on physical markers such as the patients’ sense of physical pain in cases of chronic illnesses with painful symptoms (Lukens & McFarlane, 2004; Mustafa, Carson-Stevens, Gillespie & Edwards, 2013).Meta-analytical research also suggests that psychoeducation has a positive influence on the adoption of healthier habits and beneficial small changes in lifestyle.

In particular, psychoeducation positively assist in regulating important and specific-to-illness markers, decreasing relapse rates, decreasing symptom’s exacerbation periods and improving patients’ overall quality of life both in chronic illnesses of the general medical regime (Lukens & McFarlane, 2004; Mc Guire, Stojanovijc-Radic, Strober & Chiaravallotti, 2015; Mustafa, Carson-Stevens, Gillespie & Edwards, 2013) a s well as in psychopathological conditions (Atkinson, Goia, Gilmour & Baulm et al, 2006; Browne, Roe, Lane & O’Callaghan, 1996; Atkinson, 1996; Herz et al., 2000; Lukens & McFarlane, 2004). Apostolia Alizioti, B.Sc. (Psychol), M.Sc. (Health Psychol), M.B.A., GBC member of the British Psychological Society.

 

What is Health Psychology?

As psychology is the science of behaviour, Health Psychology is focused on behaviour related to both illness and health.

For this reason, the aim in health psychology is to be taken into account the whole of the biological, psychological and social factors that affect the health of an individual.Continue reading: about Psychology of Health and the Biopsychosocial Model.

 
 
 

References

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Atkinson, J. M., Coia, D. A., Gilmour, W.H., & Harper, J. P. (1996). The impact of education groups for people with schizophrenia on social functioning and quality of life. British Journal of Psychiatry, 168(2), 199-204. doi: 10.1192/bjp.168.2.199

Brannon, L. & Feist, J. (2010). Health Psychology. An introduction to behavior and health. US:  Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Birchwood, M., Mason, R., Macmillan, F., & Healey, J. (1993). Depression, demoralization and control over psychotic illness: a comparison of depressed and non-depressed patients with a chronic psychosis. Psychological Medicine, 23(2), 387-395. doi: 10.1017/S0033291700028488

Browne, S., Roe, M., Lane, A., & O'Callaghan, E. (1996). A preliminary report on the effect of a psychosocial and educative rehabilitation programme on quality of life and symptomatology in schizophrenia. European Psychiatry, 11(8), 386-9. doi: 10.1016/S0924-9338(97)82574-6

Cutler, D & Miller, G. (2004). The role of public health improvements in health advances: the 2oth century United States.  US: National Bureau of Economic Research.  Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w10511

Day, A. (2002). Theoretical tensions in biopsychosocial medicine. In D.F. Marks, D.F. (Ed.).The health psychology reader(pp. 66-76). UK: Sage Publications.

Engel, G. L., (1980). The clinical application of the biopsychosocial model. The Americal Journal of Psychiatry, 137(5), 535-44.10.1176/ajp.137.5.535

French, D., Vedhara, K., Kaptein, A.A. & Weinman, J. (2007). Health psychology: introduction to second edition. (2nd Ed.). Health psychology. Malaysia: BPS Blackwell.

Giráldez, S. L., Fernández, O. V., Iglesias, P. F., Pedrero, E. F., & Paino, M. (2011). New trends In treatment for psychosis. Psychology in Spain, 15(1), 33-47. Retrieved from http://www.psychologyinspain.com/content/full/2011/15004.pdf

Gonzalez-Soria, C., Fombellida-Velasco, C.I., Fernández-Martín, L.C., Sanchez-Pernas, L.S., Al Chaal-Marcos , L., …  Valriberas-Herrero, I.  (2016). Attitude toward medication as a predictor of therapeutic adherence [Abstract]. Importance of psychoeducation on treatment. European Psychiatry, 33, S565-S566. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.2096

Herz, M.I., Lamberti, J. S., Mintz, J., Scott, R., O’Dell, S. P., McCartan, L., & Nix, G. (2000). A program for relapse prevention in schizophrenia: a controlled study. Archives of general Psychiatry, 57(3), 277-83. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.57.3.277

Hornung, W. P., Klingberg, S., Feldmann, R., Schonauer, K., & Schulze Mönking, H. (1998). Collaboration with drug treatment by schizophrenic patients with and without psychoeducational training: results of a 1-year follow-up. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 97(3), 213-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1998.tb09990.x

Lincoln, T. M., Wilhelm, K., & Nestoriuc, Y. (2007). Effectiveness of psychoeducation for relapse, symptoms, knowledge, adherence and functioning in psychotic disorders: A meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Research, 96(1-3), 232-245. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2007.07.022

Lukens,E. P., & McFarlane, W. R. (2004). Psychoeducation as Evidence-Based Practice: considerations for practice, research, and policy. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 4(3), 205-225. doi: 10.1093/brief-treatment/mhh019Lysaker, P.

H., & Buck, K. D. (2008). Is recovery from schizophrenia possible? An overview of concepts, evidence, and clinical implications. Primary Psychiatry, 15, 60-65. Retrieved from http://primarypsychiatry.com

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McGuire, Stojanovic-Radic, Strober, L., Chiaravalloti, N. D. & DeLuca, J. (2015). Development and effectiveness of a psychoeducational wellness Pprogram for people with multiple sclerosis description and outcomes. International Journl of MS Care, 17, 1–8. doi: 10.7224/1537-2073.2013-045

Mustafa, M., Carson-Stevens, A., Gillespie, D. & Edwards, A. G. K. (2013). Psychological interventions for women with metastatic breast cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 6, CD004253. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004253.pub4.

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Roberts, G., & Wolfson, P. (2004). The rediscovery: open to all. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 10, 37-48. doi: 10.1192/apt.10.1.37 

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Xia, J., Merinder L. B., & Belgamwar, M. R. (2011). Psychoeducation for schizophrenia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 6, CD002831. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002831.pub2.

Photos: The 1st photo is by Alexander Tsang and the 2nd photo is by C M Dasilva.

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