Rezunenko O. Psychoeducation in the system of rehabilitation of patients with bipolar affective disorder

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of psychoeducational programs in the complex psychosocial rehabilitation of patients with bipolar affective disorder (BAD) and the development of optimal methods for its use, 158 patients, both sexes, with the established diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder were examined. The main group (patients of which took part in the psychoeducational program) included 94 people. The control group included 64 patients who were receiving standard regulated therapy at the hospital. An integrative model of psychoeducational work was developed, which included the use of informational training, training of forming of adherence to therapy and interpersonal interaction, training in improving compliance, methods of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, problem-oriented discussions. The high effectiveness of psychoeducation was established in comparison with the traditional complex treatment of BAD. It was found that in the main group, a stable intermission, improvement of mental state were registered more often, in the control group there was a predominance of persons with no dynamics and fewer persons who achieved stable intermission. The patients of the main group had a frank positive dynamics of the level of social functioning, the transformation of coping strategies (activation of adaptive forms of coping, oriented to social support, an analytical approach to problem solving), the transition from disadaptive types of attitude to the disease (apathetic, melancholic, hypochondriacal and anxious) to adaptive (harmonic and ergopathic) and the development of a personal resource due to personal realization, improvement of personal relationships and sense of family support that determines the high level of perception of quality of life and successful re-socialization of the patients with BAD.