Psychoeducational intervention: A critical review of systematic analyses

Background

While many authors recommend the clinical use of psychoeducational interventions (PEI), the nature of such interventions varies widely and evidence for their effectiveness far from conclusive. Critical appraisals of the quality of review articles are warranted to consolidate the available evidence on the effectiveness of PEI.

Objectives

This paper aims at critically reviewing 13 review articles of PEI that were published from 1985–2005. Knowledge gaps and lessons learnt from previous studies are identified to guide future studies.

Method

The 13 review articles were selected through a systematic approach and clearly defined criteria. A checklist was used for appraising these review articles. Items of the checklist included purpose, search and inclusion criteria, qualitative assessment, quantitative assessment, differences, results and conclusion, and comments.

Results

A total of 809 primary studies were included in the 13 reviews. Most reviews provided a clear and comprehensive description of their search methods and inclusion criteria. Ten out of thirteen reviews provided detailed and adequate data on the studies reviewed. Eight reviews did not pool or meta-analyze the results of these studies.

Discussion

There was evidence that the effectiveness of patient education and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) has been found to be positive and there was support for their clinical use. The overall effectiveness of PEI was inconclusive because a mixture of interventions was studied and both significant and non-significant results had been reported. Future large-scale studies focusing on some commonly used interventions such as PMR, education, and counseling are recommended. Special consideration is given to the selection of understudied subjects, the selection of well-defined intervention and control, the selection of outcome measures and the research design.