In today's podcast, I speak with Carol Anderson, who along with Gerry Hogarty, developed a family-based approach to working with people with schizophrenia called Family Psychoeducation. Family Psychoeducation is only one of a handful of treatments that has been empirically validated to improve the lives of people with serious mental illness. According to the American Psychiatric Association, when people with schizophrenia are involved in family psychoeducation while taking medication, there is a significant reduction in relapse and unemployment. In today's podcast, Carol describes the 5 stages of psychoeducation, distinguishes between psychoeducation and other forms of family therapy, provides some anecdotes about family psychoeducation treatment, and provides some information for people interested in learning how to do family psychoeducation.

Carol Anderson, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychiatry and Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Her current research focuses on access to mental health care, barriers to services, and issues of engaging low income mothers and other clients in treatment. She has long-term interests in marital and family therapy and the impact of mental illness on families. She is a prolific contributor to the field of family therapy, has served as President of the American Family Therapy Academy, and has received national awards for her distinguished contributions to the field. She has authored and coauthored over 40 articles and several books including Women in Families, Mastering Resistance, Families and Schizophrenia, and Flying Solo. She is also a Distinguished Daughter of the State of Pennsylvania.

  Listen to the Podcast [42:13]

References

Anderson, C. M., Hogarty, G. E., & Reiss, D. J. (1986). Schizophrenia and the family: A practitioner's guide to psychoeducation and management. New York: The Guilford Press.

Brown, G. W., Birley, J. L., & Wing, J. K. (1972) Influence of family life on the course of schizophrenic disorders: A replication. British Journal of Psychiatry, 121(562) 241-258.

McFarlane, W. R. (2003) Family psychoeducation and schizophrenia: A review of the literature. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 29(2), 223-245.

Miklowitz, D. J. (2007) The role of the family in the course and treatment of bipolar disorder. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(4), 192-196.

Miklowitz, D. J., George, E. L., Richards, J. A., Simoneau, T. L., & Suddath, R. (2003). A randomized study of family-focused psychoeducation and pharmacotherapy in the outpatient management of bipolar disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 60(9), 904-912.

Pekkala E, Merinder L. (2002). Psychoeducation for schizophrenia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2. Art. No.: CD002831. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD002831.

Web links

National Mental Health Information Center: Family Psychoeducation
As the federal agency responsible for promoting the quality, availability, and accessibility of services for people with mental illness, CMHS is responsible for identifying treatments for mental illness that work. The materials in this resource kit document the evidence for the effectiveness of Family Psychoeducation and provide detailed information to help communities to implement the practice in real world settings.
Links to information about psychoeducation for a variety of disorders: http://www.psychoeducation.com/links/psychoeducation.html

NAMI: Family Psychoeducation