What is psychoeducation?
Psychoeducation is, in general terms, the art of explaining complex (medical-scientific) facts & circumstances in a simple way that they are well understood by affected patients and their relatives (who are not specialists).
Those who know more about a disease and possible therapies have less fear & anxiety and deal more responsibly with themselves or an affected relative. The method of psychoeducation is based on this insight.
LV BW ApK provides information at regular intervals on relevant topics related to mental illness in a simple and understandable way.
According to Prof. Dr. Bäuml, psychoeducation is the small “basics” of psychiatric-psychotherapeutic treatment.
On the one hand, it is a matter of conveying information (“duty”) and, on the other hand, of providing emotional relief (“freestyle”).
Goals of psychoeducation:
- “Co-therapists” – strengthening the function of relatives
- Deepening the “expert role” of patients (empowerment)
- Optimally dovetail professional therapy procedures with individual self-help strategies
- Improve disease insight and compliance
- Reduce treatment and disease costs.
(Handbook of Psychoeducation for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine (2016).