Psychoeducation for Inpatients With First-Episode Psychosis: Results From a Survey of Psychiatry Trainees in New York City.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nIn this study, the authors aimed to characterize psychoeducation provided to inpatients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and their families.\n\n\nMETHODS\nPsychiatrists were surveyed about how they provide psychoeducation to this population.\n\n\nRESULTS\nIn total, 60 psychiatry trainees at nine New York City hospitals responded to the survey invitation. Almost all reported that they provide psychoeducation. Most (81% for patients, 84% for families) reported that psychoeducation content and delivery method were not uniform. The most frequently used delivery method was unstructured conversation (98%), followed by handouts (25% for patients, 26% for families). Responses from a national sample (N=167) revealed similar trends.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nMost respondents provided some form of psychoeducation to hospitalized patients with FEP and their families. Few utilized a standardized method, and less than one-third incorporated supplemental materials. Inpatient psychoeducation for this population was largely informal, and patients and their families were not receiving consistent content and quality of information.