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 .
Cost-Effectiveness of a Program to Prevent Depression Relapse in Primary Care
Objective . Evaluate the incremental cost-effectiveness of a  depression relapse prevention program in primary care Material s and Methods . Primary care patients initiating antidepressant treatment completed a st and ardized telephone assessment 6–8 weeks later . Those recovered from the current episode but at high risk for relapse ( based on history of recurrent depression or dysthymia ) were offered r and omization to usual care or a relapse prevention intervention . The intervention included systematic patient education , two psychoeducational visits with a depression prevention specialist , shared decision-making regarding maintenance pharmacotherapy , and telephone and mail monitoring of medication adherence and depressive symptoms . Outcomes in both groups were assessed via blinded telephone assessment s at 3 , 6 , 9 , and 12 months and health plan cl aims and accounting data . Results . Intervention patients experienced 13.9 additional depression-free days during a 12-month period ( 95 % CI , −1.5 to 29.3 ) . Incremental costs of the intervention were $ 273 ( 95 % CI , $ 102 to $ 418 ) for depression treatment costs only and $ 160 ( 95 % CI , −$173 to $ 512 ) for total outpatient costs . Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $ 24 per depression-free day ( 95 % CI , −$59 to $ 496 ) for depression treatment costs only and $ 14 per depression-free day ( 95 % CI , −$35 to $ 248 ) for total outpatient costs . Conclusions . A program to prevent depression relapse in primary care yields modest increases in days free of depression and modest increases in treatment costs . These modest differences reflect high rates of treatment in usual care . Along with other recent studies , these findings suggest that improved care of depression in primary care is a prudent investment of health care re sources
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 .