[Psycho-educational programs for people with schizophrenia and their relatives, as an element of rehabilitation]. / Psikhoobrazovatel'nye programmy dlia bol'nykh shizofreniei i ikh rodstvennikov kak élement reabilitatsii.

AIM: To assess the effectiveness of a psycho-educational program in patients with schizophrenia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A psycho-educational program, which included 12 sessions (1.5h each session), was administered to 30 patients (23 women and 7 men), aged under 40 years (90%). The effectiveness of the program was estimated by comparing the proportion of hospitalizations within 12 months after its implementation, as well as by the average duration of hospitalizations. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was a decrease in relapses of mental disorders requiring hospitalization (from 4.9 to 3.8) and a reduction in the length of hospital stay for treatment (from 67 to 35 days). Psychoeducation programs can and should be implemented in practice of psychiatric services as an effective solution when dealing with a patient with schizophrenia and his family.