Psycho education

Psycho education

 This is a method of providing clients and their families a theoretical approach to understanding and coping with consequences of their psychological disorders/problems or physical illnesses/responses (Suzuki , 2013). The role of psycho education encompasses not only imparting knowledge and information regarding treatment /psychological support through media but is also characterised by active cooperation such as intervention exercises with patients, families and their communities.

Effective psycho education should be:  

·         Gradual and easy to understand

·         Interactive

·         Use multiple teaching aids

·         Connote consumer as the expert

·         Elicit relatives’ experience and understanding

·         Avoids conflict and confrontations

·         Long lasting process

·         Evaluate understanding

·         Review materials as often as possible  (Bhatta, 2014)

Role of psycho education to the client

·         Helps the client better understand (and become accustomed to living with the mental health condition)

·         Enhancement of adherence

·         Improvement of illness management

·         Reduces hospitalisation and number of days spend in the hospital

·         Early recognition of episode recurrence and development of strategies for effective coping with symptoms

·         Increases hope and help in the formulation of a personal development plan.

·         Empowers the client and enhances attainment of basic competence.

·         Stress control skills

·         Improvement in social and occupational functions

·         Improved quality of life

·         Engages the client in crisis management and suicide prevention.

·         Supporting healthy component.

·         Increases satisfaction with mental health services

·         Improves the quality of life of individual.

·         Helps the client to recognise their social support system

Clients who get a greater level of understanding of the challenges they are facing as well as knowledge of personal coping ability , internal and external resources, their own areas of strength are often better able to address difficulties, feels more in control of the condition and have a greater capacity to work towards mental and emotional well being. 

 Role of psycho education to the family

As many as 65% of discharged psychiatric patients return to live with a family member and many families remain involved with their relative whether or not the relative lives with them (Prasko et. al, .2016). According to numerous studies have reported that adult sibling’ concerns about the struggle of maintaining their own personal lives while simultaneously remaining involved with their ill family member is a real issue.  He further stated that the development of family psycho education interventions was based on earlier research that found that patients released from hospitals to families who expressed a high degree of hostility, criticism, and emotional over involvement were more likely to have an exacerbation of their symptoms and to relapse and be rehospitalized.

Listed below are the benefits of psycho education to the family

·         Helps the family to get an insight into the conditions so that they actively participate in the treatment of their loved ones.

·         Helps to develop knowledge and skills instrumental in promoting the recovery of the family member while eschewing family dysfunctional etiological theories of the past.

·         Their needs are also addressed since mental illness affects family members across a range of domains such as work, leisure, family health, children and social relationships.

·         Educated on how to manage while looking after the individual, understanding their situation and hardships and how to provide them with support. 

·          Ensure their attainment of basic competence

·         The more they are knowledgeable the more supportive they are.

·         Strengthening their roles

·         Promotes relapse prevention of the client

·         Enhancing their coping skills

·         Improving communication and problem solving skills. ( Stuart & Laraia, 2008)

Roles of psycho education to the community

According to the model of human occupation, it regards that individuals are open system which are influenced and also influence the environment in which they exist. It focuses on the importance of the dynamic interactive nature between the individual and environment and how this relationship contributes to individual source of motivation, patterns of behaviour and their actual performance. Due to this constant interaction between individuals and their environment, their contexts have the need to be addressed. When people feel they have the support of the community they are more likely to manage the distress associated with their condition more effectively.

·         Promotes community awareness

·         Reduces social stigma

·         Produces a very supportive environment which reduces the relapse rates of psychosis

·         Helps in identifying and building community based interventions that are sustainable.

·         Helps in early detection hence promoting early interventions promoting recovery