Kryshtal V. Psychoeducation in the complex treatment of patients with schizophrenia

In order to study the role of psychoeducation in the structure of complex therapy of patients with schizophrenia and the development of optimal approaches to its use, 159 patients of both sexes with diagnosed schizophrenia of paranoid form and 66 members of their families were examined. The main group (patients of which participated in the psychoeducational program) consisted of 94 people, and the control group included 65 patients who received standard regulated therapy in a hospital. The fifth-stage psychoeducational program for patients with schizophrenia and their relatives was developed on the basis ofthe principle of differentiated approach and the principle of partnership between medical staff and patient. The psychoeducational program included comprehensive use of information training, training for forming attachment to therapy and interpersonal interaction, training for improving compliance, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, and problem-oriented discussions. The psychoeducational program developed by us in the complex treatment and rehabilitation of patients with schizophrenia was differentiated for institutions providing primary, secondary and tertiary medical care. The high effectiveness of the use of psychoeducation in the system of complex treatment was established - in patients of the main group against the background of the use of antipsychotics in combination with psychoeducational program,there was a qualitative reduction of psychopathological symptoms, normalization of the emotional state, severe positive dynamics of the level of social functioning, the transition of the maladaptive types of attitude towards the illness into adaptive types, awareness of their role and responsibility for the effectiveness of treatment, the feeling of support of relatives, which determines the high level of perception of quality of life. On the background of the implementation of the psychoeducational program in the families of patients of the main group, there was a positive dynamics of family functioning - the prevalence of an adequate attitude of relatives towards the illness, coupled with a high level of indicators of the family support scale.