PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL MODEL
THEORISTS: DONALD BLOCH, CAROL ANDERSON
Pioneered by Donald Bloch and primarily developed by Carol Anderson, the Psychoeducational Model is typically utilized with individuals suffering from serious and persistent mental illnesses, including but not limited to, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychotic illnesses, and personality disorders. This model emphasizes education about the specific mental illness in order to empower families to be able to better cope with the complications and frustrations that may arise when living with a mentally ill individual. This model utilizes the system’s resources and coping skills and has been more successful than other approaches in delaying relapse and preventing repeated hospitalizations. Psychoeducation groups have also been proven effective for marital enrichment (i.e., couples who do not present as distressed), relationship enhancement, and parent training.
GOALS
- To maximize the functioning of mentally ill individuals and their families
- To establish and utilize the individual’s support system
- To educate family members as well as the individual so that they can improve coping skills
- To promote positive communication, conflict management, and positive expression of affection
ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT
- Assess history of problem
- Evaluate the family’s understanding of the problem
- Evaluate the family’s coping mechanisms
- Evaluate the type of information/education needed by the family
- Utilize client’s family system as resource
- Referrals to other resources when necessary
- Work collaboratively with families so they feel understood, supported, and empowered to deal with the illness
- Provide family with information about the nature and course of the illness
- Remove blame
- Hold one-day survival skills workshops
- Family members are educated about how to balance the demands of the illness with the needs of other family members
- Therapist responds to problems in the family structure, which occur as a result of diagnosis of mentally ill individual
STANCE OF THERAPIST
- Active
- Direct
- Empathetic
- Collaborative (with identified patient and family)
- Therapy is brief