People seek counseling for a multitude of reasons. One reason is clients seeking support for their experiences with a friend or loved one with mental health conditions. In this case, do we just “therapize” the client who came in? Is it a waste of time to provide psychoeducation or is that helpful?
Studies say psychoeducation for loved ones is helpful! Research finds that providing family with psychoeducation can reduce caregiver burden. Another study found that extensive psychoeducation reduced internalized stigma in family members of patients with bipolar disorders.
The effectiveness about psychoeducation may be why people often receive support through self-help materials. These materials are often designed specifically for the family and friends of people with cognitive impairment or mental health conditions.
Clinicians find it helpful to provide in-depth assessment of the information clients provide about a family member or friend. Clients may suspect someone has a mental health condition, but present it as fact. This can lead to using the information provided in good faith to manipulate their loved one or attempting to enact unhelpful interventions.
In other situations, clients may intentionally misrepresent someone. This may be their way to help themselves grapple with their own difficulties (or at worst, be to seek legal power or social dominance over the loved one). Understanding a client’s experience and any possible symptoms can help determine the degree to which they might benefit from psychoeducation or another approach.
Supporting someone with mental health difficulties can be challenging and confusing. In some situations, psychoeducation may relieve some distress and improve client coping abilities. It can also open a dialogue about symptoms in the loved one that impact the client that they were unaware were part of the diagnosis.
