Family Psychoeducation
Family psychoeducation involves a strong partnership between consumers, families and supporters, and practitioners. This can involve a variety of formats, approaches, lengths of time, and places where services are offered, but effective family psychoeducation programs have a common basis, methods, and set of principles. Through relationship-building and alliance, education, collaboration, problem-solving, and an atmosphere of hope and partnership, family psychoeducation helps consumers and their families and supporters to:
- Learn what they need to know about mental illness
- Master new ways to manage it
- Reduce tension and stress in the family
- Provide social support and encouragement
- Focus on the future (instead of the past)
- Find ways for families and supporters to help consumers in their recovery
Family psychoeducation fosters feelings of respect, trust, hope, and empowerment among everyone involved in the treatment process, so a true partnership can be formed. People work toward recovery by developing better skills for overcoming everyday problems and illness-related issues, developing social support, and improving communication with treatment providers. The result is that consumers have markedly fewer symptoms, higher success with employment, and improved family relationships, while families experience markedly lower stress and medical illness.