Psychoeducational Group Intervention Research Articles

Psychoeducational Intervention for Patients With Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma: A Replication Study

In 1993, a randomized intervention study among patients with malignant melanoma showed a significant decrease in psychological distress and increased coping capacity 6 months after the intervention and enhanced survival 6 years later. We applied a similar intervention with a few modifications in a randomized controlled trial among Danish patients with malignant melanoma and evaluated results on immediate and long-term effects on psychological distress and coping capacity. A total of 262 patients with primary cutaneous malignant melanoma were randomly assigned to the control or intervention group. Patients in the intervention group were offered six weekly sessions of 2 hours of psychoeducation, consisting of health education, enhancement of problem-solving skills, stress management, and psychological support. The participants were assessed at baseline before random assignment and 6 and 12 months after surgery. The analyses of the main effects of the intervention were based on analyses of covariance. The patients in the intervention group showed significantly less fatigue, greater vigor, and lower total mood disturbance compared with the controls, and they used significantly more active-behavioral and active-cognitive coping than the patients in the control group. The improvements were only significant at first follow-up. The findings of this study support the results of an earlier intervention study among patients with malignant melanoma and indicate that a psychoeducational group intervention for such patients can decrease psychological distress and enhance effective coping. However, this effect is short term and the clinical relevance is not obvious.

Understanding the outcomes of a psycho-educational group intervention for caregivers of persons with dementia living at home: A process evaluation

This qualitative process evaluation study aimed to identify the primary processes of a psycho-educational group for caregivers of persons with dementia, in order to better understand intervention outcomes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 participants recruited from the experimental group of a randomised controlled trial. At pre-test, participants reported their expectations of the group. At post-test, they described their group experience, the most/least helpful aspects of the intervention, their most useful learning and their responses during a recent episode of disturbing behaviour by their relative. Results showed that the group delivered both educational and support processes. Support processes complemented educational processes. Participants learned coping strategies, with reframing playing a more important role than problem-solving or seeking social support. Daughters benefited more than spouses from educational processes. This study of group processes contributes to our understanding of the reported reduction in frequency of disturbing behaviours and of the change in caregivers’ behaviours.

Family intervention and acquisition of adaptive behaviour among intellectually disabled children

A trial was designed to evaluate the role of enhanced parental attitude towards management of intellectual disability in the acquisition of adaptive behaviour. Fifty-seven children with intellectual disability and their parents were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of either multimodal adaptive behaviour training plus interactive group psycho-education (intervention group); or multimodal adaptive behaviour training plus didactic lectures (control group). Blinded raters were involved. Completers’ and intention-to-treat analyses were conducted. In the intention-to-treat sample, 22 of 29 children in the intervention group compared with four of 28 children in the control group showed a significant improvement in the acquisition of adaptive behaviour. The minimum additive efficacy provided by the enhanced parental attitude was 80 percent. Meaningful clinical benefits on various measures were found for the intervention group after training. Parental attitude intervention should be included in adaptive behaviour training for children with intellectual disability, as enhanced parental attitude has short-term positive effects.

Taking charge of epilepsy: the development of a structured psychoeducational group intervention for adolescents with epilepsy and their parents

Children and adolescents with epilepsy frequently experience poor psychosocial outcomes due to numerous factors such as perceived stigma, behavior problems, academic difficulties, and depression. Health psychology research has documented the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions aimed at improving psychosocial outcomes for individuals with a variety of health conditions. With increasing numbers of adolescents living with epilepsy, interest in improving the quality of life for this particular population has grown. There remains, however, a paucity of research concerning psychosocial interventions for adolescents with epilepsy. The present study outlines the development and initial implementation of a 6-week structured psychoeducational group intervention for adolescents with epilepsy and their parents. Preintervention, the QOLIE-AD-48, Childhood Depression Inventory, and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale were administered. Educational topics included medical aspects of epilepsy, healthy lifestyle behaviors, family and peer relationships, understanding self-image and self-esteem, and stress management techniques. Participants were introduced to a variety of cognitive-behavioral strategies, and were encouraged to share their own experiences with epilepsy. Feedback from adolescent and parent participants indicated that the intervention was relevant to their needs, helped them better understand their epilepsy, and allowed an opportunity for positive peer support. Also, postintervention outcome measurement indicated an overall positive trend for quality of life improvement in the adolescents.

Evaluation of a Psychoeducational Group for Seronegative Partners and Spouses of Persons with HIV/AIDS

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a time-limited psychoeducational group intervention for cohabiting partners and spouses of persons with HIV/AIDS. The goals of the intervention were to decrease feelings of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and stigma and to increase perceived social support. A pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental research design was used. A total of 19 partners or spouses received treatment, and 9 partners or spouses were on a waiting list. Multivariate analysis of covariance provided inconclusive evidence of the model’s effectiveness for noninfected spousal and partner caregivers. Despite these results, treatment effect and power analyses support the viability of this treatment method.

“Coping with depression”: an open study of the efficacy of a group psychoeducational intervention in chronic, treatment-refractory depression

Background: Failure to respond to antidepressant medication represents a major clinical problem. Few therapeutic interventions have been shown to benefit such individuals. Method: Patients attended a 12-session psychoeducational programme over a period of 10 weeks, with follow-up at 26 weeks. The main outcome measures were the self-report Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the Global Severity Index (GSI) of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the EuroQol 5D. Results: Baseline assessments confirmed substantial chronicity and treatment resistance, high symptom burden and poor quality of life in the study cohort. Twenty-six week follow-up data were obtained from 34% of cohort. Completion of the course was associated with clinically significant changes in symptom burden. Sustained remission was achieved by 35% of completers. Limitations: We did not characterise the cohort using structured clinical interview and did not collect structured, objective ratings of mental health status. There was no control group. There was a high attrition rate and caution must be exercised in interpreting results. Conclusions: For a proportion of patients with chronic depressive episodes that have not responded to antidepressant treatments, the “Coping with Depression” psychoeducational group may confer sustained and meaningful benefit. Controlled studies are warranted.

Psychological adjustment among African American breast cancer patients: One-year follow-up results of a randomized psychoeducational group intervention.

The effectiveness of support group interventions for cancer patients has been established among White patients but has been virtually unstudied among minority patients. The current study represents the 1st randomized support group intervention targeted to African American women with breast cancer. Participants (N = 73) with nonmetastatic breast cancer were randomly assigned to an 8-week group intervention or an assessment-only control condition At 12 months, the intervention resulted in improved mood as well as improved general and cancer-specific psychological functioning among women with greater baseline distress or lower income. Subsequent research is needed to address effective methods of enrolling and following women with fewer psychosocial and financial resources, as they were the most likely to benefit from this particular intervention.

Treating depression in primary care in low-income women in Santiago, Chile: a randomised controlled trial

Depression in women is one of the commonest problems encountered in primary care. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of a stepped-care programme with usual care in primary-care management of depression in low-income women in Santiago, Chile. In a randomised controlled trial, in three primary-care clinics in Chile, 240 adult female primary-care patients with major depression were allocated stepped care or usual care. Stepped care was a 3-month, multicomponent intervention led by a non-medical health worker, which included a psychoeducational group intervention, structured and systematic follow-up, and drug treatment for patients with severe depression. Data were analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The primary outcome measure was the Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) administered at baseline and at 3 and 6 months after randomisation. About 90% of randomised patients completed outcome assessments. There was a substantial between-group difference in all outcome measures in favour of the stepped-care programme. The adjusted difference in mean HDRS score between the groups was -8.89 (95% CI -11.15 to -6.76; p<0.0001). At 6-months' follow-up, 70% (60-79) of the stepped-care compared with 30% (21-40) of the usual-care group had recovered (HDRS score <8). Despite few resources and marked deprivation, women with major depression responded well to a structured, stepped-care treatment programme, which is being introduced across Chile. Socially disadvantaged patients might gain the most from systematic improvements in treatment of depression.

Group-Analytic and Psychoeducational Therapies for Binge-Eating Disorder: An Exploratory Study of Efficacy and Persistence of Effects

Research has evaluated cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy for the treatment of binge-eating disorder (BED); other therapies, however, have received less attention. The aim of our research was to analyze the efficacy of two group therapies for BED patients: analytic psychotherapy and psychoeducation. The psychotherapeutic intervention consisted of group-analytic psychotherapy of 14 sessions over a 28-week period; the group psychoeducational intervention involved 10 sessions over a 10-week period. The Eating Disorder Inventory-2, the 16-Personality Factors questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 were used for psychometric assessment. Two follow-up assessments were performed after 6 and 12 months, respectively. At the end of treatment, most patients were without eating disorders and had a lower rate of binge episodes. The psychoeducational group patients improved markedly in alexithymic traits related to the ability to describe feelings. At follow-up, most patients were still without eating disorders and had few binge episodes. Although psychoeducational group patients confirmed the amelioration on alexithymic traits, analytic psychotherapy group patients showed a trend toward an improvement in personality traits related to the ability to be at ease when communicating with others.

Group-Analytic and Psychoeducational Therapies for Binge-Eating Disorder: An Exploratory Study of Efficacy and Persistence of Effects

Research has evaluated cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy for the treatment of binge-eating disorder (BED); other therapies, however, have received less attention. The aim of our research was to analyze the efficacy of two group therapies for BED patients: analytic psychotherapy and psychoeducation. The psychotherapeutic intervention consisted of group-analytic psychotherapy of 14 sessions over a 28-week period; the group psychoeducational intervention involved 10 sessions over a 10-week period. The Eating Disorder Inventory-2, the 16-Personality Factors questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 were used for psychometric assessment. Two follow-up assessments were performed after 6 and 12 months, respectively. At the end of treatment, most patients were without eating disorders and had a lower rate of binge episodes. The psychoeducational group patients improved markedly in alexithymic traits related to the ability to describe feelings. At follow-up, most patients were still without eating disorders and had few binge episodes. Although psychoeducational group patients confirmed the amelioration on alexithymic traits, analytic psychotherapy group patients showed a trend toward an improvement in personality traits related to the ability to be at ease when communicating with others.

Family based therapy plus cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was better than CBT alone or family therapy alone for reducing adolescent drug abuse

Waldron HB, Slesnick N, Brody JL . Treatment outcomes for adolescent substance abuse at 4– and 7–month assessments. J Consult Clin Psychol2001 Oct; 69 : 802 –13 [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4]...

The development of a psychoeducational group intervention for overweight women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a service evaluation

AbstractAims:A psychoeducational group intervention was developed and evaluated as a new service for overweight women with type 2 diabetes. The intervention was holistic in its focus – and aimed to enhance self esteem and body image in addition to encouraging realistic and gradual weight loss using a ‘healthy eating’ model.Methods:The intervention encompassed sessions on healthy eating, activity, education and improving self‐esteem. Assessment data was collected at four time points (1) Pre‐run in, (2) Pre‐intervention, (3) Post‐intervention, (4) Six month follow‐up; and consisted of physiological measures (HbA1c, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and weight) and self‐report measures of mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), self‐esteem (Culture‐free Self‐Esteem Inventory), interpersonal problems (Inventory of Interpersonal Problems), eating attitudes and behaviours (Eating Disorder Inventory and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire). Participants also completed an open ended questionnaire enabling a brief weekly qualitative evaluation of the group process and content.Results:Two groups completed the intervention (n = 19). Having ensured there were no baseline differences of concern between the two groups their data was combined for the purpose of analysis. Repeated measures multivariate analyses of variance were used to explore predicted changes in physiological and psychological outcomes across the intervention period. Weight was maintained across the intervention and follow‐up period with no significant weight gain or loss for the combined group. There were significant improvements across the intervention period on the following psychological measures – Inventory of Interpersonal problems (‘Difficulties socialising’ (F = 7.89, p &lt; .05), ‘Difficulties getting involved with others’ (F = 4.30, p &lt; .005), and ‘Being too dependent on others’ (F = 3.81, p &lt; .025); and Self‐esteem (F = 4.39, p &lt; .025). These changes were maintained at follow‐up. Comparisons across the control (run‐in) period and the follow‐up indicated significant improvements in Self‐esteem (F = 4.39, p &lt; .005); Interpersonal problems – ‘Being too dependent on others’ (F = 3.81, p &lt; .05), ‘Being too caring towards others’ (F = 2.69, p &lt; .025); and Eating behaviours – a reduction in binge eating (F = 4.47, p &lt; .005) and disinhibition (F = 3.29, p &lt; .025) as measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory and Three Factor Eating Questionnaire respectively.Conclusion:The intervention was helpful in bringing about significant change on a number of important psychological measures – there was no significant change in weight for the group across the period of the evaluation. Qualitative data highlighted the positive experiences of being in a group, and concerns about previous experiences of health care and understanding of diabetes. Some of the limitations of service evaluations are highlighted and the results are discussed in the context of recommendations to develop interventions matched to the needs of individual patients. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Tuesdays with Fellow Travelers

This project examined th effectiveness of a psycho-educational grief group intervention for AIDS-related death and bereavement. Family members and friends who had lost a loved one to HIV/AIDS participated in a six-week, time-limited bereavement group. Depression, anxiety, and grief reactions were analyzed using standardized instruments. Qualitative methods were also employed. Findings suggest that a psychoeducational bereavement group may be an effective intervention for caregivers who have unresolved emotional issues related to the loss of a loved one due to HIV/AIDS.

Empowering Students for Social Justice (ES2J): A Structured Group Approach

This article presents a structured psychoeducational group intervention for increasing social justice awareness, knowledge, and advocacy skills with upper elementary, middle school, or junior high aged students. The empowering students for social justice model is presented. A general framework that includes goals and activities for an eight-session group is described. Issues processed in the group revolved around the social justice themes of oppression, prejudice, and racism. Implications for school counselors are also provided.

Couples Who Care: The Effectiveness of a Psychoeducational Group Intervention for HIV Serodiscordant Couples

Objective: The pilot study examined the effectiveness of a psychoeducational group intervention for HIV/AIDS, serodiscordant, heterosexual couples. Method: A quasi-experimental pretest posttest design was used to examine depression, anxiety, and marital satisfaction of couples in which one spouse was HIV positive and the other spouse was negative. Results: Univariate analyses of covariance indicated significant differences between the experimental and comparison groups on each dependent variable. Effect sizes ranged from moderate to strong. Conclusions: The group intervention was effective in reducing depression and anxiety and in increasing marital satisfaction among serodiscordant heterosexual couples.

A Psychoeducational Group Intervention for Adolescents Diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease

A Psychoeducational Group Intervention for Adolescents Diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease

Completion and Recidivism Among Court- and Self-Referred Batterers in a Psychoeducational Group Treatment Program

Summary Batterers treatment has become a central component in efforts to curb relationship aggression. However, debate continues over the relative effectiveness of batterers treatment both independent of, and in concert with, legal interventions. The present study examined the relationship between referral source (i.e., self-referred vs. court-mandated), participant characteristics, treatment length (i.e., 7, 10, and 20 weeks), treatment completion, and recidivism in a sample of 326 men who had completed at least one session of a batterers treatment program. Results indicated that court-referred men had a significantly higher treatment completion rate than self-referred men in the 20-session condition, but not in either of the shorter treatment lengths. Men who were exposed to their fathers' physical abuse of their mothers and men who have been aggressive in past relationships had significantly lower completion rates. Recidivism was lowest for men who had been court-referred and completed treatment. Treatment completion was associated with significantly lower rates of recidivism for court-referred but not self-referred participants. Participants in the 10- and 20- session treatment programs had significantly lower rates of recidivism than those in the seven-session program, but were not significantly different from one another. No participant characteristics were found to be significantly associated with recidivism. Implications of these findings for the structure of batterers treatment and public policy are discussed.

Female Juvenile Offenders Incarcerated as Adults

• Summary: A pilot study was conducted which examined the development and implementation of a psychoeducational group intervention for young female offenders incarcerated in adult jail. The purpose of the group intervention was to reduce levels of depression, anxiety and trauma symptoms among the female juveniles. T-test analyses were utilized to examine differences between pre-tests and post-tests on the three outcome variables. • Findings: Findings indicated that the group intervention may be effective in alleviating depression and trauma symptoms among young female offenders. No significant differences between pre-test and post-test were found for anxiety. • Applications: Due to large caseloads and lack of mental health professionals in the jails and prisons in the United States, young offenders receive little or no mental health treatment when they are incarcerated in the adult jail system. The group intervention described in the current study holds promise for providing a cost-effective and efficient technique for delivering mental health services to this young population of offenders incarcerated in adult jail. If we are concerned about curbing the rising tide of violence among juveniles, we must develop innovative rehabilitation programs to meet the needs of this population of inmates in our jail and prison systems.

Protocol for a Trauma-Based Psychoeducational Group Intervention to Decrease Risk-Taking, Reenactment, and Further Violence Exposure: Application to the Public High School Setting

On the basis of clinical experience with traumatized adolescents, the authors developed a psychoeducational group intervention that educates participants about trauma with the goal of minimizing their propensity toward reenactment and risk-taking behavior that exposes them to additional trauma. A pilot study with a community population showed promising results: traumatized high-school students' learning about trauma in a psychoeducational group related to healthier attitudes toward risk-taking behaviors. Encouraged by these preliminary findings, the authors developed a more refined 12-session protocol. Each session includes a combination of trauma-related topics and exercises intended to build skills in the areas of self-regulation, empathy, and interpersonal problem-solving. This paper presents a session-by-session description illustrated with clinical examples and concludes with a plan for further program evaluation and our clinical impressions of its effectiveness.

Reducing depression, anxiety, and trauma of male inmates: An HIV/AIDS psychoeducational group intervention

Although the growth rate for HIV/AIDS for incarcerated people is nearly six times the rate of the U.S. population, AIDS education programs within the corrections system have been slow to develop. A quasi-experimental research study found that a 1 O-session psychoeducational group intervention was effective in increasing knowledge of AIDS and decreasing depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms among male inmates in a large southeastern jail facility. The group intervention consisted of both AIDS education topics and psychological support. Results indicated significant differences between the experimental and comparison group participants. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Keywords: group intervention; HIV/AIDS; incarcerated people; jails; psychoeducation Over the past two decades, there has been a 600 percent increase in the number of people incarcerated in U.S. jails and prisons (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1996). This growth equates to a nationwide need for approximately 1,143 bed spaces per week (Gilliard, 1992). The jail and prison populations are increasing, and detainees axe held for longer periods, thus maintaining the increase in this population. The sources of difficulty for the prison and jail system encompass budgetary problems, overcrowding, and violence (McShane & Williams, 1989). With an increase in the incarcerated population, there is a corresponding need for effective rehabilitation programs. One main obstacle to improvement of the system is the dearth of suitable training programs and effective interventions (Gendrau, 1996). There have been some efforts to supply rehabilitation programs to offenders (that is, restitution, victim--offender mediation); however, the provision of psychosocial interventions has been a low funding priority to jail administrations. Immarigeon (1995) recommended putting offenders in programs that address problems they actually have and choose programs that fit into what's known about the most effective way to impact a given problem (p. 7). The majority of rehabilitation programs in jails and prisons focus on academic education and vocational training rather than mental health interventions (Gendrau & Andrews, 1994). A myriad of emotional and social issues confront inmates residing in correctional facilities in the United States (Anderson, 2000). Inmates entering a correctional facility are likely to be overwhelmed by the severely, restrictive environment, loss of personal freedom, and need to adapt to new cultural norms. This shock coupled with histories of childhood physical and emotional abuse, substances abuse, and often dysfunctional or traumatic relationship experiences of inmates creates depressive cognitions and affects that can potentially develop into suicidal ideation if not treated (Boterrell, 1984). Hopelessness, despair, and negative feelings about the future are some of the underlying factors resulting in depression, low self-esteem, and increased anger (Rees, 1989, p. 4). The majority of incarcerated men suffer from this psychological distress related to trauma, depression, and anxiety requiring mental health services and psychotropic medication (Morris, Steadman, & Veysey, 1997). In addition, high levels of depression and anxiety are often manifested by aggressive and hostile behavior in jail. These difficulties are further believed to have a causal relationship with offenders' criminal and antisocial behavior in the jail, leading to an increase in violence in correctional facilities (Blackburn, 1986). These high-risk behaviors, violent in nature, increase the likelihood of transmission of HIV infection. Ironically, HIV education and risk-reduction programs in correctional facilities often are brief lectures given to inmates during the first few days of incarceration when they are least able to absorb the information (Gendrau, 1996). The first week of incarceration is considered the most stressful for inmates and accounts for the majority of successful suicides carried out by new arrestees (Rees, 1989). …