The Efficacy of Psychoeducational Family Intervention for Major Depression: Study Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

This study aims to assess the efficacy of a psychoeducational family intervention (PFI) to reduce the severity of depressive symptoms and to improve psychosocial functioning and to increase social contacts in a sample of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The degree to which PFI will reduce patients’ relapses, hospitalizations, and self-stigmatization and will improve their quality of life will also be assessed. Other secondary outcomes include the improvement of relatives’ coping strategies, family burden, expressed emotions and quality of life. This non-profit, unfunded, national, multicentric randomized controlled trial with blinded outcome assessments will be carried out in 24 Italian university outpatient units. Families will be assessed at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months post-randomization. Our working hypothesis is that the PFIs will reduce the patients’ severity of depressive symptoms, their relapses, and their hospitalizations, and that they will improve their psychosocial functioning and quality of life. We expect these results to be maintained after 12 and 24 months, albeit with a reduction in magnitude. The sample will consist of 384 patients randomized at a 1:1 ratio and stratified according to center, age, gender, and educational level.

Relation between Suicide Probability and Self-Criticism among Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

“…Furthermore, this result may be due to lake of effective and sufficient psychoeducational intervention about suicide to patients with MDD. A study conducted by (Toni et al, 2023) found psycho-education is an important tool in reducing the severity of MDD symptoms. Moreover, an Egyptian study conducted by (El et al, 2020) reported that the psycho-educational program is effective in promoting positive self-cope strategies for patients with MDD.…”

New trends in personalized treatment of depression

“…Individual, group or family psychoeducational interventions have the aims to: (a) increase the levels of knowledge of patients (and carers) about the illness; (b) prevent clinical relapses through the recognition of early warning signs; (c) improve communication skills and problem-solving strategies [56,57]. However, studies on the efficacy of psychoeducation in MDD are still limited and mainly derived from schizophrenia research [58].…”