About Psychoeducation in Mental Health Programs
Psychoeducation is much more than simply gaining additional knowledge about a diagnosis and potential treatments for it.
It is gaining a deeper understanding for how a person relates to their world and the people around them, as well as how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are related to each other.
With this knowledge and insight, people are more empowered in their own treatment and better prepared to handle challenges in their everyday lives.
The goal of psychoeducation is to help people understand their diagnosis, cope with its symptoms, improve their treatment outcomes, and manage their mental health in the long term.
And, because psychoeducation frequently incorporates family therapy into treatment, clients and their loved ones are better able to understand and support one another through the healing process.
Key Facts on Psychoeducation
- Development: founded in the 1980s by psychologist C.M. Anderson
- Conditions that benefit from psychoeducation: schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, psychosis
- Types of psychoeducation: diagnosis and treatment, coping skills, group psychoeducation, family psychoeducation
- Ways that psychoeducation can help: allows people to feel in control of their treatment; can teach valuable skills such as problem-solving, communication skills, and social skills; reduces stigma and judgment surrounding mental health disorders; incorporates family members and loved ones into treatment, reduces the chance of relapse for certain mental disorder symptoms; increased physical health and overall well-being; helps people to better respond to triggers and stressors
- Ways to pay for psychoeducation: cash or self-pay, healthcare insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, financial assistance
Psychoeducation at Mark Behavioral Health
When people do not properly understand their mental health condition, it can be detrimental to both their short-term and long-term healing.
They may seek the wrong types of therapies and self-care treatments, and delay getting the right kinds of treatment that could actually truly help them.
Mark Behavioral Health works to solve this issue by offering psychoeducation treatments as a part of our larger residential mental health program.
We believe that the more a person knows about their own condition, the better they are able to be treatment-compliant and active and informed participants in their own healing.
In addition, the more knowledgeable and active their loved ones are in the healing process, the more likely the treatments are to work in the long term.
Types of Psychoeducation
There are various types of psychoeducation available, depending on what stage of treatment a person is in and what they are hoping to learn more about.
Diagnosis and Treatment Education
This type of psychoeducation is for people who are newly diagnosed or who are looking to understand their diagnosis more fully.
During the treatment education portion of this type of psychoeducation a person should gain an understanding of all the possible treatments for their condition including what each entails and what they can expect to learn.
Coping Skills Education
Coping skills education is a type of psychoeducation that focuses on educating people how to cope and problem-solve when they come upon challenges in their lives outside of therapy.
Coping skills taught will vary depending on the disorder being treated but can include relaxation techniques, mindfulness techniques, assertiveness, emotion regulation skills, and how to self-monitor thoughts and emotions.
Family Psychoeducation
Perhaps the most popular and well-known type of psychoeducation is family psychoeducation, a type of family therapy that serves to educate both the client and their loved ones about mental illness.
This type of therapy can be especially helpful when there are conflicts at home, or when family members are having difficulty understanding what their loved one is going through. It is especially common in therapy for children and adolescents.
This family intervention can also promote a supportive environment within the home, with people attending treatment together as a way of showing that they care and want to help.
Group Psychoeducation
When small groups of people are all learning about the same condition or learning the same coping skills, group psychoeducation can be an option.
These groups are also interactive and allow participants to support one another through their treatment, while being taught and moderated by a licensed and skilled therapist.
Other Modalities
Psychoeducation can also be found as a main component in other therapy modalities, particularly in different types of psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Other types of therapy that include psychoeducation are mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
What Types of Mental Disorders Can Be Treated with Psychoeducation?
Psychoeducation could be used to treat virtually any type of mental health disorder, as most people and their loved ones can benefit from having additional information.
Still, it is especially beneficial and more common to find when treating certain mental health disorders.
Types of mental health issues that can be treated with psychoeducation include:
- Schizophrenia
- Depressive disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Personality disorders
- Eating disorders
What to Expect During Psychoeducation Sessions
What you can expect during a psychoeducation session depends on what the focus of the teaching is and on who the participants are in the therapy session.
Your treatment will likely begin with an initial assessment to determine what you already know and where your biggest psychoeducational needs are.
Oftentimes, psychoeducation that is then provided in an individual format is incorporated as a part of the patient’s psychotherapy, or talk therapy sessions.
For group therapy psychoeducation sessions, people will likely find that their group is relatively small, no more than 5 to 10 people, and that it is also condition-specific.
During these sessions, people will be taught information and skills that are specific to their condition, and given the opportunity to ask questions of their own.
Family sessions for psychoeducation can be performed in either a single-family setting, or with multiple families present who are learning about the same condition.
Then, over the course of what is generally between 6 and 12 weekly sessions, family members will learn information and skills to help them support their loved one, including how to look out for signs of relapse or how to help a loved one with suicidal behaviors.
How Psychoeducation Impacts Mental Health Recovery
Psychoeducational interventions can have lasting impacts on an individual’s mental health recovery, as well as on all those who choose to participate and support them in family therapy.
This is because people are given the tools from the start to understand and address their condition, without having to fear stigma or judgment from the people around them.
More benefits of psychoeducation include:
- People feel empowered when they are educated about their condition
- Can ease tensions at home between family members and improve other interpersonal relationships
- Can help people to choose the best treatment for their specific diagnosis
- Can alleviate fears that people have around their diagnosis, especially regarding misinformation
- Can improve skills of self-help and self-care outside of treatment
- Can make other types of treatment more effective at the same time
- Can reduce the side effects and symptoms of certain mental health disorders
- Can reduce stigma within families and communities on what it means to have mental illness
Cost of Psychoeducation
Psychoeducation and psychoeducational assessments are considered a specialized type of therapy and can be quite costly when sought through private psychologists.
It is sometimes possible, however, to find psychoeducation offered as part of a larger inpatient mental health program, such as the one offered at Mark Behavioral Health.
Factors that can affect the cost of psychoeducation include:
- The type of psychoeducation
- Your location
- The type of health insurance you have
- The types of payments accepted by the facility
- Types of financial assistance offered
- Whether the facility is private or public
- Whether the treatment is inpatient or outpatient
How to Find Psychoeducation in Florida
Psychoeducation is a specialized type of treatment, and is not always available in every therapy or psychiatry office.
Because of this, you may have to inquire directly with any facilities that you are interested in to find out if this service is offered as a treatment option.
You can also check with your primary care physician or a different mental health professional or clinician that you trust for any needed recommendations or referrals.
Resources for finding psychoeducation in Florida include:
- Psychology Today — a directory of mental health facilities and rehab centers that have all been verified by Psychology Today. You can search this directory by state, city, or keyword.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) — a federal organization that provides information on a variety of mental health and substance use disorders, and which also provides a treatment locator for mental health and behavioral health facilities throughout the United States.
We also invite you to consider us at Mark Behavioral Health if you are looking for a psychoeducation program that is part of a larger inpatient treatment program.
Find Healing with Psychoeducation at Mark Behavioral Health
No matter what type of mental health disorder you or your loved one is living with, Mark Behavioral Health offers therapeutic options of all kinds, including a psycho-educational approach.
Everyone deserves to have control over their own mental health recovery, and psychoeducation can be just what many people need in order to feel empowered over their treatment process.
To get started with treatment for yourself today to improve your quality of life, contact us at Mark Behavioral Health and speak to one of our trained representatives at any time.
