Efficacy of a WeChat mini-program-based self-management intervention for bipolar disorder: A randomized controlled trial.

Youth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear a disproportionate burden of mental health conditions, alongside low health-seeking behaviours and limited access to services. These gaps underscore the need for accessible strategies such as youth peer-based mental health programmes and supports (Y-PBMHPS). To examine whether Y-PBMHPS can help address the mental health needs of LMIC youth. We conducted a rapid review of peer-reviewed literature, searching Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, CAB Global Health, Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index for studies of Y-PBMHPS in LMICs published in English between 1 January 2002 and 19 September 2025. Two review authors performed title/abstract screening and full-text review. Study quality was assessed by one review author using Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. The primary outcome was change in mental health status, expressed in standardised difference units. Of 6105 unique records identified, 329 studies were reviewed in full and 34 were included. All studies were conducted in Asia or Africa; 17 were quantitative studies (including randomised controlled trials), 9 were qualitative studies and 8 used quantitative designs with qualitative findings. Y-PBMHPS included counselling, psychotherapy, psychoeducation and self-help groups, with peers acting as leaders, facilitators, educators or service providers. Quantitative studies most frequently assessed anxiety and depression, reporting negligible to moderate effects. Qualitative findings indicated good fidelity, adherence and acceptability, alongside some feasibility challenges. Y-PBMHPS can broaden youth mental health support and services in LMICs. Clearer guidelines on peer selection, training and supervision and further research in other LMICs, including cost-effectiveness evaluations, would strengthen the evidence base.

Older adults in residential aged care have disproportionately high rates of depression compared to community settings, but access to mental health services is poor. The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a novel outreach student-delivered systemic therapy program (ELders AT Ease [ELATE]) for addressing depressive symptoms in residential aged care. Single-arm pre- and post-intervention design. The program integrates evidence-based cognitive, behavioural and reminiscence techniques. Sixteen individual face-to-face therapy sessions with residents over 5 months were delivered by supervised postgraduate psychology students on placement. Family and staff were invited to join resident therapy sessions and monthly psychoeducational group sessions. Aged care residents with depressive symptoms and no or mild cognitive impairment were recruited. Participants completed measures of depression, anxiety and quality of life at four timepoints. Program satisfaction and treatment integrity were assessed post-treatment. Study uptake, treatment uptake and retention rates were calculated. Fifty-four residents were referred; 16 were eligible, and 15 participated (12 female, 87.3 ± 6.3 years). Overall, 14 participants completed at least 12 of 16 treatment sessions. Treatment satisfaction was high, with 90.9% of residents rating the treatment as 'good' or 'excellent'. Preliminary clinical outcomes suggested an average decrease post-treatment in depression and anxiety, with small-to-medium effect sizes. Staff and family session involvement was lower than expected. The pilot suggested that recruitment, screening and 5-month treatment procedures were feasible and acceptable. The results warrant a larger study to examine the effectiveness of the student-delivered outreach approach in residential aged care.

Family caregivers of individuals with mental disorders experience significant financial, emotional, and psychological burden, particularly in low-resource settings with limited access to formal mental health services. Although psychoeducation is an effective strategy for reducing caregiver burden, evidence from low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia, remains scarce. To assess the effectiveness of a structured psychoeducation intervention in reducing caregiver burden among family caregivers of individuals with mental disorders attending Nekemte Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Nekemte Town, and Mettu Karl Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Mettu Town, Southwest Ethiopia. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study with an intervention and a comparison group was conducted from March 2021 to February 2022 at Mettu Karl Comprehensive Specialized Hospital and Nekemte Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Oromia, Ethiopia. The sample size was determined using G*Power software, yielding a total of 556 family caregivers (intervention: n = 279; comparison: n = 277). Family caregivers were systematically sampled, with Mettu Karl Comprehensive Specialized Hospital assigned to the intervention group and Nekemte Comprehensive Specialized Hospital to the comparison group, which received routine care. The intervention consisted of six monthly structured group psychoeducation sessions. Caregiver burden was measured at baseline and post-intervention using the Zarit Burden Interview. The data were entered into SPSS version 25 for analysis. Intervention effects were assessed using linear mixed-effects models and difference-in-differences analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of Jimma University. There was a significant difference in mean caregiver burden scores between the intervention and comparison groups (p < 0.001). The intervention group demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in burden compared to the comparison group (DID =-4.32; 95% CI: -6.83, -1.81). After adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical factors, the linear mixed-effects model showed a significant reduction in caregiver burden among the intervention group (β =-5.65; 95% CI: -7.35, -3.95; p < 0.001). The structured psychoeducation intervention was effective in reducing caregiver burden among families of individuals with mental disorders in Southwest Ethiopia. These findings support the integration of culturally appropriate psychoeducation programs into routine and community-based mental health services, particularly in resource-limited settings where family caregivers play a central role in patient care.

Objective This study pilot tested a novel intervention prototype that combined bystander training to prevent sexual violence with brief alcohol intervention. Participants 40 heavy drinking young adult undergraduates. Methods Students completed 1 two-hour psychoeducational group intervention and were assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and a 4 wk later. Results Groups were completed in 2 h; 88% of students rated the group as excellent. Students had increased sexual violence knowledge (η2 = .36), alcohol knowledge (η2 = .32), and bystander intentions (η2 = .11); and reduced alcohol consumption (η2 = .11), and perceived drinking norms (η2 = .14). Conclusions This intervention has potential to reduce sexual violence on college campuses by (1) moderating drinking behaviors of potential bystanders and (2) training students to use bystander strategies within heavy drinking context that has high risk for sexual violence. Future research should test this intervention in a larger controlled trial.

Purpose: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a language-led dementia that impacts a person's ability to communicate. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are essential in supporting people living with PPA (PwPPA); however, many SLPs report insufficient preparation for this role. The Community of Mentors with Primary Progressive Aphasia Supporting Students (COMPPASS) Program was developed to address this gap by engaging speech-language pathology students in experiential learning during a psychoeducational group for PwPPA and their partners. The aim of this study is to explore speech-language pathology students' perspectives of their learning about PPA through participation in the COMPPASS Program. Method: We used a cross-sectional study design involving an online survey, gathering students' perceptions on the development of their confidence, knowledge, and skills working with PwPPA. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics of quantitative data (single-item summaries and cross-item tabulations). Responses to open-ended questions were used to enhance and contextualize the results of the quantitative data. Results: Overall, the students' feedback highlighted that participation in the COMPPASS Program resulted in perceived increases in their confidence, knowledge, and skills in working with PwPPA. Most students found interacting with PwPPA and their partners to be the most beneficial for their learning about PPA. There was a low level of agreement among the students regarding which aspects were hindering to their learning. Conclusions: The results of this research will enhance SLP students' learning about the lived experience of PPA directly from PwPPA. This research will provide guidance to other SLP and allied health educational programs on delivering PPA education involving the voices of PwPPA. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.31936839

This engagement award project evaluated the preliminary effectiveness of a culturally tailored psychoeducation session aimed at reducing mental health stigma among African American women and their social support networks.Participants included 25 community members, including African American women of reproductive age and members of their social support networks, engaged in a two-hour psychoeducation group session. This session addressed perinatal mood disorders, cultural and historical factors contributing to mental health stigma, impacts of untreated conditions, and culturally appropriate resources. Participants completed the Stigmatized Attitudes Toward Mental Illness Scale (SATMIS) before and after the psychoeducation session, along with a satisfaction questionnaire.Analysis revealed a large (Cohen's d = 0.98), significant reduction in stigmatized attitudes toward mental illness from pre-session (M = 62.4, SD = 10.2) to post-session (M = 48.9, SD = 9.7; p < .001). Most (92%) participants reported high satisfaction with the psychoeducation session.This engagement project provides preliminary evidence that a brief, culturally tailored psychoeducation group session can effectively reduce mental health stigma among African American women and their support networks. Given the disproportionate burden of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMADs) and maternal mortality among African American women, this approach shows potential for addressing a significant barrier to mental health care utilization in this population.

Assessing the feasibility of a co-produced peer-group intervention for supporting wellbeing during the transition to adulthood among autistic 16-25-year-olds (ATAG): a randomised controlled feasibility trial.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility and potential effectiveness of a structured psychoeducational group program aimed at enhancing resilience and reducing burnout among primary healthcare workers.DesignA single-arm pre–post implementation study conducted between September 2022 and February 2024. Trial registration at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05720429.Site81 primary care centers of the Catalan Health Institute.ParticipantsPrimary care professionals from all occupational profiles were eligible.InterventionsA 11-session program, delivered by community psychologists, combined psychoeducational content, interactive activities, and relaxation techniques.Main measurementsOutcomes were measured before and immediately after the intervention using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale and the burnout subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Analyses included effect sizes and multivariate models to identify predictors of change.ResultsOf 1419 baseline participants, 387 (87.1% women; median age 47 years) completed both assessments. Resilience increased significantly post-intervention (p = 0.001; effect size = 0.21), with larger gains in men and younger participants. Burnout decreased significantly (p = 0.001; effect size = 0.21), particularly among physicians. Higher baseline secondary traumatic stress predicted greater burnout reduction. Program overall assessment, feasibility and satisfaction were high.ConclusionsThis psychoeducational group intervention was feasible, well-received, and associated with modest but significant improvements in resilience and burnout. Targeted benefits were observed for specific subgroups, suggesting value in tailoring content to professional role and baseline emotional burden.

ABSTRACT Incorporating family members in substance use treatment enhances treatment prognosis in substance use (SU) treatment. Yet the family members are seldom included, leaving them mostly untreated. They live silently or unconsciously with the detrimental effects of alcohol or drugs gnawing them each moment. Additionally, the treatment modalities existing worldwide—focusing mostly on the individual user, the long term, and institutional services—prevents them from getting professional help or any other alternative help. Thus, to fill in this treatment gap of inaccessibility and unavailability, and to reach the unreached family members, the current study was conducted with 80 family members from the Tirap and Longding Districts of Arunachal Pradesh. This study found that the scope of social work intervention with family members showed minimal knowledge on substance use disorders and its treatment approach. The three-month social work intervention with four psychoeducational family support groups had been found effective. It was ineffective in enhancing knowledge on understanding SUD as a disease due to a reactive and regression effect. The data was analyzed using ANCOVA and SPSS V26. It recommends policymakers to incorporate family members in substance use treatment. Social workers can provide primary care services at community level.

Engagement in care is particularly problematic among patients suffering from eating disorders (ED). We aimed to assess whether a brief, remote, psychoeducation (PE) intervention could facilitate engagement and/or potentiate treatment. We also aimed to study whether the acquisition of knowledge, a key aspect of PE, could relate to its efficacy. We designed a brief, remote PE intervention, based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) principles and literature recommendations. Eighteen ED patients receiving the intervention in addition to treatment as usual (TAU) were compared to 17 EDpatients receiving TAU only on: self-reported symptomatology and motivation, actual engagement in a treatment, as well as ED-related knowledge. Assessment times were pre-, post-, and 2months past the intervention. Within-group improvements in symptomatology (at follow-up) and increases in motivation (post- and follow-up) were observed in the TAU + PE group, but not in TAU. Level of knowledge and changes in motivation were identified as potential mediators of the association between the intervention and ED symptomatology. These preliminary findings suggest that a simple, easily accessible remote PE intervention may represent a promising adjunct to standard ED treatment. They also highlight the potential role of knowledge acquisition as a component associated with intervention-related change. Evidence obtained from multiple time series with or without the intervention, such as case studies. Dramatic results in uncontrolled trials might also be regarded as this type of evidence.

Navigating considerable risk and uncertainty, including high rates of violence and recent tightening of migration policies, People on the Move (PoM) in Latin America face significant mental health challenges and barriers to care. From 2021 to 2025, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has provided psychological and psychiatric services to PoM in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama, conducting almost 17,000 consultations since 2024 alone. In our experience, patients face a complex clinical landscape characterized by limited patient-provider interaction time, constantly changing health systems, and inconsistent referral and medication availability, among other challenges. The urgent need to meet basic survival and protection needs often delays attention to mental health. The highly diverse patient population, both from the region and beyond, requires ongoing adaptation to different languages, cultures, and precipitating events and circumstances. In response, MSF adapts a holistic care package including single, brief therapy sessions; group psychoeducation sessions; pediatric recreational activities; cultural mediators; travel kits with psychiatric medication; and trainings for local providers through the Mental Health Gap Action Programme. Additionally, holistic care integrates mental health services with general medical care and social services, while telehealth and digital health promotion enable providers to reach PoM beyond in-person consults. Recent migration policy changes and funding cuts threaten to exacerbate both the mental health of PoM and barriers in service delivery. Ongoing innovation and adaption are essential to support mental health of PoM in a context of evolving and often punitive regional migration policies.

Psychoeducation is an evidence-based intervention with demonstrated effectiveness throughout nursing literature. Time frame constraints and robust curriculum requirements in graduate nursing education necessitate that faculty incorporate learning strategies that develop students across multiple domains. The study, implemented as a quality improvement program, used a cross-sectional design to evaluate the quality of a psychoeducational curriculum approach for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) graduate nursing students. Data included enrollment logs and student responses obtained through verbal debriefing. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were employed to determine the number of student participants and identify broad patterns in their perceptions of the quality and effect of the educational strategy in professional development. Three cohorts of nursing graduate students (N = 59) participated in the strategy. Three themes emerged from student responses. Student-facilitated role-play learning strategies conducted in the classroom setting provide a safe, faculty-directed experience that enables student development in multiple domains.

The long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences, including various forms of abuse, neglect, and trauma, are well-documented but often inadequately addressed in healthcare settings. Healthcare providers frequently lack the training necessary to provide trauma-focused, evidence-based interventions. To address this gap, we developed the 'Community Access to Resourced & Resilient PsychoEducation' (CARE) training program, a scalable, asynchronous, virtual learning platform designed to equip healthcare providers with the skills and knowledge to facilitate an 8-week trauma-focused psychoeducational group intervention for adults with a history of childhood interpersonal trauma. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of the CARE training program among 62 healthcare providers from six organizations across Ontario. Pre- and post-training questionnaires were used to assess these domains using a combination of Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. Sixty-two healthcare providers from six Ontario organizations enrolled in the CARE training program; 42% had worked in the healthcare field for 11 or more years, and nearly all (96.8%) had prior experience with e-learning. 73% completed at least half of the modules and 65% completed ≥ 90%. Most participants reported completing all eight modules within 5-10h. Among the 34 providers who completed the post-training survey, 97% agreed that the time required was well matched to the knowledge gained, and 97% reported that the multimedia format enhanced their learning experience. Almost all respondents described the modules as clear, practical, and easy to navigate, and most said they would recommend the training to colleagues. The most commonly reported barrier was finding time to complete the modules, while content on emotion regulation and trauma-related interpersonal patterns was highlighted as particularly useful. Our findings underscore the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of a virtual, asynchronous trauma-focused psychoeducational training program for healthcare providers. The CARE program's multimedia, self-paced format was well received and offers a scalable approach to trauma-focused training across diverse healthcare settings. Future phases of this study will evaluate training-related knowledge and confidence and examine effectiveness and implementation outcomes.

Purpose Reactance peaks during adolescence, underscoring the need for targeted interventions. This study examined whether a mentalization-based group intervention (MBI-G) could reduce reactance and aggression among adolescents. Method 60 high-reactance adolescents (33 girls, aged 11–15) from junior high schools in Beijing were randomly assigned to either a six-session weekly MBI-G or a school-based psychoeducational control group. Measures of mentalization, reactance, and aggression were collected at pre-intervention, mid-intervention, and post-intervention. Results Significant Time × Group interactions emerged for mentalization ( p = .027) and reactance ( p = .003). The intervention group showed greater improvements in mentalization and more substantial decreases in reactance than the controls. Post-intervention aggression was also significantly lower in the intervention group ( p = .033). Analysis showed that increases in mentalization from baseline to mid-intervention mediated the intervention's effect on reductions in reactance from baseline to post-intervention. Discussion MBI-G appears effective in reducing adolescent reactance by enhancing mentalization.

The phenomenon of increasing psychological problems in elementary school students requires the implementation of guidance and counseling services that will help prevent and handle cases in a responsive manner. The limited competence of elementary school teachers in the implementation of guidance and counseling services is the background for the implementation of this activity. This training in the context of community service aims to develop the attitudes, knowledge and skills of guidance and counseling teachers in carrying out guidance and counseling services in an integrative and collaborative manner. Service materials include assessment of students’ needs or problems, group guidance or psychoeducation skills, and counseling communication skills. This training uses a structured-experiential learning approach, combining a structured learning approach with experiential learning. The flow of this training activity has six stages, namely elaboration, real experience and modeling, designing and roleplaying, feedback and reflection, and transfer of learning outcomes through real action. The training activities consisted of five main activities, namely training on identifying student problems through authentic assessment, training on group guidance strategies and collaborative-integrative psychoeducation in elementary schools, training on counseling procedures and skills in elementary schools, development of collaborativeintegrative guidance and counseling service media in elementary schools, and follow-up plan, reflection and evaluation.

Psychoeducation is a psychosocial intervention aimed at providing knowledge, cognitive and communication strategies to improve illness awareness and coping skills in patients with psychiatric disorders. Adolescence is a critical phase in psychopathological development. Integrating psychoeducational interventions among youngsters, since hospital clinical practice during mental illness onset, can significantly impact on the global functioning and long-term prognosis. This study aims to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a psychoeducational group intervention to reduce emotional dysregulation and affective symptomatology in a sample of youths hospitalized at the Transitional Psychiatry ward, Marche University Hospital, Ancona, Italy. Participants (aged 15-24) will attend weekly thematic modules led by psychiatrists, psychologists and trainees. The control group will receive the treatment as usual. The modules included in the intervention will address the following topics: emotions, anxiety, psychotic experiences, addictions, sleep, therapies, communication and social skills. Participants will be assessed at baseline, at the end of the intervention and at 3-, 6- and 12 months post-randomization. We expect to observe a significant improvement in the emotional regulation and in the secondary outcomes (mental health literacy, internalized stigma, social functioning, rehospitalization, and coping strategies). Satisfaction questionnaires will also be administered at the end of each session to identify any changes to the intervention, adapting it to patient satisfaction. The protocol proposes a transdiagnostic and multimodal psychoeducational model aimed at a youth population with high clinical complexity, with potential benefits in terms of secondary prevention, therapeutic continuity and reduction of relapses. Intervention from the acute stages of the illness could ensure greater improvement in the subsequent period, while also establishing a stronger therapeutic alliance.

Abstract Background Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD) is characterised by pervasive social inhibition, a sense of inadequate self-worth, and excessive sensitivity to negative evaluation, resulting in severely impaired social functioning. Creative arts therapies (such as music interventions) may serve as effective mediators for social rehabilitation by providing patients with non-verbal avenues for expression and emotional regulation. However, empirical research focusing on structured group piano ensemble interventions and systematically evaluating their impact on objective social behaviours in AvPD patients remains unexplored. This study aims to examine whether a 10-week group piano ensemble intervention programme can effectively improve social avoidance behaviours and social anxiety levels in individuals with AvPD. Methods The study employed a randomised controlled trial design, with 72 participants meeting DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD) randomly assigned to either a piano intervention group (n = 36) or a routine supportive psychoeducation control group (n = 36). The intervention group received weekly 90-minute group piano ensemble training sessions, comprising individual rhythmic exercises, paired note call-and-response, group melody composition, and culminating in rehearsals of small ensemble pieces. The control group received supportive group psychoeducation at the same frequency. The primary outcome measures were social avoidance behaviours, assessed using the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD) and the Social Anxiety Scale (SAS). All scales were administered at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and three months post-intervention (T3). Results The piano intervention group demonstrated significant reductions in both self-reported and observed social avoidance behaviours at T2 and T3 compared to T1 (all p&amp;lt;.001), with the magnitude of reduction significantly greater than that of the control group (all p&amp;lt;.001). A significant interaction effect was also observed for the secondary outcome measure, the SAS, indicating a significant decrease in anxiety levels within the intervention group. Detailed data are presented in Table 1. Discussion Research indicates that structured group piano ensemble interventions yield significant and sustained improvements in social avoidance behaviours and social anxiety levels among patients with avoidant personality disorder, demonstrating markedly superior efficacy compared to conventional supportive interventions. The notable enhancement in objective behavioural observation data is particularly crucial, confirming the intervention's effectiveness in facilitating genuine social interaction. This may stem from the ensemble setting creating a “task-centred” rather than “evaluation-centred” social context. Participants, immersed in musical collaboration, naturally reduced anxiety about social performance while practising non-verbal synchronisation and cooperative skills. Future research could explore the intervention's neural mechanisms (e.g., monitoring brain-to-brain synchronisation during collaboration via neuroimaging) and compare outcomes across different artistic modalities (e.g., painting, dance). Funding No. GXGZJG2022B172; No. LZJ2025B002.

There is interest in demonstrating which interventions with caregivers are most effective. However, there has been little research on their own perception of such efficacy. This study aims to identify and compare the benefits perceived by family caregivers of people with dementia of two interventions (psychoeducational intervention -PI- and support group -SG-) and to see if there are differences in their assessments and narratives depending on whether they show clinically relevant changes after the intervention. Twenty-five randomly assigned family caregivers participated in either a PI or a SG, and their pre-post treatment depressive symptomatology was assessed. Whether they obtained a clinically relevant change was determined by calculating the reliable change index, to classify them as Responders (R+) or Non-responders (NoR+) to each intervention. Participants’ perceptions of intervention effectiveness were assessed through structured and open-ended questions. Qualitative data were analyzed using the Framework Method, enabling systematic comparison between interventions and between clinical response profiles. Although the proportion of R + was higher in the PI group, caregivers in both interventions described positive experiences and highlighted learning and emotional support as key benefits. Narratives from SG participants revealed a desire for more practical strategies, suggesting the added value of psychoeducational components. Perceived benefits did not differ substantially between R + and NoR+, indicating that caregivers can experience meaningful gains even without measurable symptom improvement. Caregivers perceive both psychoeducational and support group interventions as beneficial. Integrating emotional support with structured psychoeducational content may enhance the clinical impact of caregiver interventions. Exploring caregivers’ experiences using systematic qualitative methods provides essential insights that complement quantitative outcomes and inform more tailored and effective interventions.

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of Islamic Gratitude psychoeducation groups in improving student resilience. The study used a pretest–multiple posttest control group quasi-experimental design. The experimental group received the Islamic Gratitude psychoeducation group intervention, while the control group received a placebo intervention. Each group consisted of 8 students. The resilience instrument used was the Taormina Resilience Scale (APRS). Resilience was measured through pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages. The data were analyzed using Repeated Measures ANOVA after fulfilling the assumptions of normality and homogeneity of variance. The results of the analysis showed a significant increase in resilience in the experimental group compared to the control group, as well as a significant interaction between the measurement time and the group, indicating the effectiveness of the Islamic Gratitude intervention in continuously improving student resilience. These findings indicate that the Islamic Gratitude psychoeducation group is an effective and relevant intervention to be applied in Islamic value-based guidance and counseling services in higher education.