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 .
A psychoeducational approach to the treatment of depression: comparison of group, individual, and minimal contact procedures.
This study examined the efficacy of a psychoeducational approach in treating unipolar depression . The vehicle of treatment was a course in " Coping with Depression . " An explicit educational experience , the course addressed several specific target behaviors ( social skills , thinking , pleasant activities , and relaxation ) as well as more general components hypothesized to be critical to successful cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression . Sixty-three individuals who met Research Diagnostic Criteria ( RDC ) for unipolar depression were r and omly assigned to one of four conditions : class , individual tutoring , minimal contact , or delayed treatment control . Participants in the immediate treatment conditions were assessed pre- and posttreatment and at 1- and 6-month follow-up sessions ; the delayed treatment group was assessed prior to and following an 8-week waiting period . Results indicated clinical improvement by all of the active treatment conditions compared to the delayed treatment condition . Differences between active treatment conditions were small , and some differences between high and low responders to treatment were found . Results are discussed in terms of their implication s for future clinical use of this approach . Stimulated by recent theoretical developments , there has been an impressive proliferation of interventions and approaches for the psychological treatment of unipolar depression . Treatments derived from cognitive positions have been aim ed at depressive thought processes ( e.g. , Beck , Rush , Shaw , & Emery , 1979 ; Fuchs & Rehm , 1977 ) , whereas those derived from behavioral positions have been aim ed at the improvement of social skills ( Hersen , Bellack , & Himmelhoch , 1980 ; Sanchez , Lewinsohn , & Larson , 1980 ; Zeiss , 1977 ) , at increasing pleasant activities and time management relaxation skills ( Lewinsohn , 1977 ) , and at more general problemsolving skills ( McLean & Hakstian , 1979 ) .
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 .