["(...) sometimes I have doubts about myself, when I'm not doing well". Effect of an ambulatory psychoeducational group program from the subjective perspective of patients with schizophrenic illnesses].

PURPOSE: Aim of the study is an analysis of the patients' evaluation of the impact of a psychoedukative group program for patients with schizophrenia in outpatient treatment, which was part of the project "Integrated Treatment of Schizophrenia".

METHOD: Problem-focussed interviews were carried out with 30 randomly selected participants of the psychoeducative group programme. Interviews were fully transcribed and analysed by means of qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

With the exception of two persons all patients made a very positive assessment of their participation at the psychoeducative programme. The quality of the information received and the possibilities of exchanging experiences with other patients during the group sessions were mentioned by most of the participants as reasons for this positive assessment. Although only few patients reported on changes of their illness behaviour due as a result of psychoeducation, most of them underlined that that the increase of their illness-related wisdom as well as the exchange of illness experiences with other patients helped them to cope somewhat better with their illness.

CONCLUSION

Psychoeducative group programmes contribute to the improvement of patients quality of life even if they have no measurable impact on illness behaviour or compliance. Hence, such group programmes should be integrated into outpatient services even if there is no evidence of a direct impact on relapse rates or cost savings.