Psychoeducation in bipolar disorder: A systematic review

BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder(BD)is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by mood swings.Psychosocial interventions,such as psychoeducation,play an essential role in promoting social rehabilitation and improving pharmacological treatment.AIM To investigate the role of psychoeducation in BD.METHODS A systematic review of original studies regarding psychoeducation interventions in patients with BD and their relatives was developed.A systematic literature search was performed using the Medline,Scopus,and Lilacs databases.No review articles or qualitative studies were included in the analysis.There were no date restriction criteria,and studies published up to April 2021 were included.RESULTS A total of forty-seven studies were selected for this review.Thirty-eight studies included patients,and nine included family members.Psychoeducation of patients and family members was associated with a lower number of new mood episodes and a reduction in number and length of stay of hospitalizations.Psychoeducational interventions with patients are associated with improved adherence to drug treatment.The strategies studied in patients and family members do not interfere with the severity of symptoms of mania or depression or with the patient's quality of life or functionality.Psychoeducational interventions with family members do not alter patients'adherence to pharmacotherapy.CONCLUSION Psychoeducation as an adjunct strategy to pharmacotherapy in the treatment of BD leads to a reduction in the frequency of new mood episodes,length of hospital stay and adherence to drug therapy.

Improving the Quality of Life of Women Living With Anxiety in Northern Kenya:Psychoeducation Treatment

Anxiety symptoms are rampant among women in resource poor settings in Northern and Kenya,which negatively affect their quality of life(QoL).Psychoeducation(PE)could be effective in mitigating and treating anxiety disorders in resource poor settings,due to its cost-effective nature.This research aimed to improve the QoL of women with anxiety symptoms through an eclectic model of psychoeducation treatment.The quasi-experimental research design with an experimental group(EG)and a control group(CG)was adopted.A sample size of 200 was selected for the study(EG,N=100;CG,N=100).Beck’s Anxiety Inventory(BAI)was used to screen for anxiety while the EUROHIS eight-item index was used to evaluate the QoL indicators.Chi-square tests conducted at baseline established no variations in anxiety levels in the two groups(p=0.05).Psychoeducation was introduced as an intervention treatment to the EG two weeks after the baseline and then after six weeks at midline studies.At baseline,there was no statistical difference in the levels of anxiety.Endline studies showed that the PE treatment significantly improved anxiety symptoms(p=0.000)of EG respondents,leading to significant improvements in their QoL.Data were analysed by using SPSS Version 21.0.

Management of sleep disorders among children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders: A practical guide for clinicians

There is a complex relationship between sleep disorders and childhood neurodevelopmental,emotional,behavioral and intellectual disorders(NDEBID).NDEBID include several conditions such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder,autism spectrum disorder,cerebral palsy,epilepsy and learning(intellectual)disorders.Up to 75%of children and young people(CYP)with NDEBID are known to experience different types of insomnia,compared to 3%to 36%in normally developing population.Sleep disorders affect 15%to 19%of adolescents with no disability,in comparison with 26%to 36%among CYP with moderate learning disability(LD)and 44%among those with severe LD.Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with significant risks of behavioural problems,impaired cognitive development and learning abilities,poor memory,mood disorders and school problems.It also increases the risk of other health outcomes,such as obesity and metabolic consequences,significantly impacting on the wellbeing of other family members.This narrative review of the extant literature provides a brief overview of sleep physiology,aetiology,classification and prevalence of sleep disorders among CYP with NDEBIDs.It outlines various strategies for the management,including parenting training/psychoeducation,use of cognitive-behavioral strategies and pharmacotherapy.Practical management including assessment,investigations,care plan formulation and follow-up are outlined in a flow chart.

Computerized Cognitive Training in Healthy Older Adults:Baseline Cognitive Level and Subjective Cognitive Concerns Predict Training Outcome

Computerized cognitive training (CCT) can improve cognition in older adults. However, specific programs for this target group have rarely been developed, and predictors of training success are largely unclear. In a randomized controlled pilot trial, we examined effects of a six-week CCT, tailored to the cognitive profile of healthy older adults (EG, n = 21) as compared to a nonspecific CCT (CG, n = 18) matched in frequency and intensity. No interaction effects between Group and Time were found. However, within-group analysis showed significant gains in verbal and non-verbal memory, executive and visuospatial functions and subjective cognitive concerns (SCC) in the EG, while the CG only benefitted in non-verbal memory and set-shifting. Low cognitive performance and lower SCC at baseline were the most consistent predictors of cognitive gains in the EG. Thus, CCTs specifically tailored to older adults seem advantageous compared to non-specific CCT. Further, we conclude that SCC may be related to reduced cognitive plasticity.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness in Recovery from Colorectal Cancer

Objective:This study examined whether a 4-week group-based mindfulness intervention would be superior in reducing psychological distress in colorectal cancer(CRC)patients compared to a psychoeducation and cognitive behavioural skills learning support active control group.Methods:Patients with CRC were randomized via Computerised Permuted Block Randomisation to mindfulness or active control groups(2-h weekly sessions over 4 weeks).Outcomes were measured pre-intervention,and 8 weeks and 6 months post-baseline.The primary outcome was psychological distress measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.Secondary outcomes were generic quality of life(QoL),disease specific QoL,mindfulness,and intervention credibility and acceptability.Results:Sixty-eight participants were randomized to mindfulness(n=35)or active control group(n=33).Uptake of potentially eligible patients consenting was low(28.0%)and the dropout rate was 33.8%.Depression scores were reduced in both groups at week 8(P=0.020).Control participants had greater improvement in generic mental QoL scores at week 8 than mindfulness(P=0.023).In disease specific QoL,there was reduction in impotence symptom in the mindfulness group(P=0.022)and reduction in faecal incontinence in the control group(P=0.019).The embarrassment symptom had a significantly lower increase in the mindfulness group at week 8 compared to the control group(P=0.009).Both groups rated the treatments as credible and acceptable.Conclusions:Mindfulness was not superior to the active control group in terms of alleviating psychological distress but both treatments were associated with some improvements in depression.There was low uptake of both interventions.(Trial registration number:ACTRN12616001033437)