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 comparative study of the impact of education vs. process groups for families of patients with affective disorders.
This clinical project compares the relative impact of two types of multiple family groups on psychiatric in patients and their families . Forty patients with a diagnosis of affective disorder , and their family members , were r and omly assigned to a traditional multiple family group with a process orientation that emphasized support , destigmatization , and self-help about common problems ; or to a psychoeducational multiple family group that emphasized the provision of information about the patient 's illness and methods of coping with it effectively . Both groups , which met for four hours on a Saturday afternoon , were an integral part of an ongoing inpatient program specializing in the treatment of affective disorders . Pre- and post- measures were obtained regarding family and patient knowledge about affective disorders , level of personal distress , attitudes about the illness , and dyadic adjustment . In addition , both patients and family members were asked to rate their satisfaction with the group experience . A number of differences in knowledge , attitude and dyadic adjustment were found in the participants of both groups immediately following their respective group sessions , but there were only a few statistically significant differences between the two groups . Those who attended the psychoeducational session , however , reported significantly more satisfaction with the experience
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 .