ABSTRACT
Family intervention for the severe psychiatric syndromes—psychotic and severe mood disorders—has been established as one of the most effective treatments available. The descriptor “psychoeducation” can be misleading: family psychoeducation includes cognitive, behavioral, and supportive therapeutic elements, often utilizes a consultative framework, and shares characteristics with some models of family therapy. If family members confronted by negative symptoms in a loved one have little formal knowledge of the illness, they are likely to respond with increased involvement, emotional intensity, criticism, or even hostility. The available evidence across several severe and chronic illnesses indicates that ongoing access to social contact and support prevents the deterioration of conditions and improves their course. The cumulative record of efficacy for family intervention, variously termed “family psychoeducation,” “family behavioral management,” or “family work” is remarkable. Once the family is engaged and while the patient is being stabilized, the family is invited to a workshop conducted by the clinicians who will lead the multifamily group.
