
Psychoeducation is a type of group therapy for those seeking help for mental health disorders or addiction. Psychoeducation isn’t always well understood by the public or by those who seek out psychoeducational group therapy. Yet, its premise is very simple and very valuable.
Psychoeducational groups work to educate those who are seeking mental illness or addiction treatment on how to live with these conditions. It’s not a new concept, having been in use for over 100 years, but it hasn’t always been accepted as a viable option. It’s also changed significantly over the years. During the mid-1980s, it was designed to bring families together in a type of intervention-style meeting.
Patients and their family members were given information on the illness and instructed to develop a deep understanding of that illness and the therapies used to treat it. The goal was to create a long-term commitment from everyone involved in the treatment of the condition.
Today, it’s evolved into an independent therapeutic program where the focus is on communication improvement between the patient and the family. Now, the goal is to help the family understand and accept the illness and, in doing so, offer a supportive network to the individual.
What Are Psychoeducational Groups?
Psychoeducational groups are informative sessions that bring family and patient together to learn about substance abuse or mental health disorders and their consequences. These are structured group sessions in which the focus is on learning and group activities.
They are also designed to focus specifically on the patient’s life. A key aspect of these group sessions is that they don’t work to change the situation but rather inform everyone about what’s happening, why it is happening and what they can do about it.
Because this type of group session provides such in-depth information, it is considered an essential component of most therapy programs. When a person and their family have this deep level of understanding of what’s happening, they are better able to cope with the difficulties that arise during the treatment process.
The patient is also able to feel more in control over their condition and their family’s role in recovery. In some cases, this can improve mental capacity, giving them a better opportunity to manage the process.