Peer-to-peer education in schizophrenia: Impact for knowledge, compliance with neuroleptic relapse prevention and quality of life

Rehospitalization of schizophrenic patients can be reduced by 20 percent through the participance of carers in professionally conducted psychoeducational or family interventions (1). Unfortunately only about 10% of patients and carers are provided with such psychoeducational interventions, mainly due to high work load of professionals. On the other hand, patients and family members benefit from experiences of peers, who serve as positive „role-models“. Therefore a new, innovative peer-to-peer concept was developed. Consumers and carers who were able and motivated to serve as psychoeducational group moderators were trained according to the following step by step curriculum: participation in a psychoeducational group, weekend training-workshops, co-moderation and finally self-dependent moderation of psychoeducational group sessions. First experiences and results (acceptance of groups and group moderators, knowledge increase, concept of illness, drug attitudes) of different steps of peer-led patients and family groups, as well as chances and limitations of this psychoeducational approach will be described and discussed.

1. Pitschel-Walz, G., Leucht, S., Bìuml, J., Kissling, W., Engel, R.R.

The effect of family interventions on relapse and rehospitalization in schizophrenia – a meta-analysis.

Schizophr Bull. 2001;27(1):73–92