Psychoeducation
Psychoeducation is a therapeutic approach under which the psychological practitioner's functioning is viewed not in terms of abnormality (or illness) diagnosis prescription — therapy --> cure; but rather in terms of client dissatisfaction (or ambition) --> goal-setting — skill-teaching --> satisfaction or goal achievement. The contemporary roots of psychoeducation are traced from an early era serving to set the stage for psychotherapy as an educational process, to the behavior modification era, to the community mental health era.
Those with serious/severe mental illness, especially schizophrenia and schizophrenic‐like disorders, often have little to no insight regarding the presence of their illness. Psychoeducation may be defined as the education of a person with a psychiatric disorder regarding the symptoms, treatments, and prognosis of that illness.
Many forms of psychosocial intervention are based on traditional medical models designed to treat pathology, illness, liability, and dysfunction. In contrast, psychoeducation reflects a paradigm shift to a more holistic and competence-based approach, stressing health, collaboration, coping, and empowerment (Dixon, 1999; Marsh, 1992). It is based on strengths and focused on the present. The patient/client and/or family are considered partners with the provider in treatment, on the premise that the more knowledgeable the care recipients and informal caregivers are, the more positive health-related outcomes will be for all.
Authier, J. (2012). The Psychoeducation Model: Definition, Contemporary Roots and Content. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 12(1). Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/40F8sdu
Zhao, S., Sampson, S., Xia, J., Jayaram, M. (2015). Psychoeducation (brief) for people with serious mental illness. Cochrane Library. https://bit.ly/3EfPEbX
P. Lukens, E. (2004). Psychoeducation as Evidence-Based Practice: Considerations for Practice, Research, and Policy. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention Vol. 4 No. 3. Retrieved from: https://shorturl.at/vKuPx