Conclusions : Psychoeducation is a psychosocial treatment that has been well documented as an adjunct to pharmacological therapy .
However , there are only a few studies regarding its effectiveness on adult patients with major depressive disorder .
Although the publications in this area are still very limited , the articles selected in this review suggest that psychoeducation is effective in improving the clinical course , treatment adherence , and psychosocial functioning of depressive patients
Objective : Pharmacological treatment is considered indispensable to major depressive disorder .
In spite of this , a significant number of patients do not respond adequately to treatment based only on medication , presenting high relapse and recurrence rates .
Therefore , psychosocial interventions , such as psychoeducation , have been increasingly recognized as an essential component in the treatment of depression , associated with pharmacological strategies .
Thus , the aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of psychoeducation  for patients with unipolar depression , analyzing the evidence from the literature .
"Coping with depression": an open study of the efficacy of a group psychoeducational intervention in chronic, treatment-refractory depression.
BACKGROUND Failure to respond to antidepressant medication represents a major clinical problem . Few therapeutic interventions have been shown to benefit such individuals . METHOD Patients attended a 12-session psychoeducational programme over a period of 10 weeks , with follow-up at 26 weeks . The main outcome measures were the self-report Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI-II ) , the Global Severity Index ( GSI ) of the Brief Symptom Inventory ( BSI ) and the EuroQol 5D . RESULTS Baseline assessment s confirmed substantial chronicity and treatment resistance , high symptom burden and poor quality of life in the study cohort . Twenty-six week follow-up data were obtained from 34 % of cohort . Completion of the course was associated with clinical ly significant changes in symptom burden . Sustained remission was achieved by 35 % of completers . LIMITATIONS We did not characterise the cohort using structured clinical interview and did not collect structured , objective ratings of mental health status . There was no control group . There was a high attrition rate and caution must be exercised in interpreting results . CONCLUSIONS For a proportion of patients with chronic depressive episodes that have not responded to  antidepressant treatments  , the " Coping with Depression " psychoeducational group may confer sustained and meaningful benefit . Controlled studies are warranted
Conclusions : Psychoeducation is a psychosocial treatment that has been well documented as an adjunct to pharmacological therapy .
However , there are only a few studies regarding its effectiveness on adult patients with major depressive disorder .
Although the publications in this area are still very limited , the articles selected in this review suggest that psychoeducation is effective in improving the clinical course , treatment adherence , and psychosocial functioning of depressive patients
Objective : Pharmacological treatment is considered indispensable to major depressive disorder .
In spite of this , a significant number of patients do not respond adequately to treatment based only on medication , presenting high relapse and recurrence rates .
Therefore , psychosocial interventions , such as psychoeducation , have been increasingly recognized as an essential component in the treatment of depression , associated with pharmacological strategies .
Thus , the aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of psychoeducation  for patients with unipolar depression , analyzing the evidence from the literature .