4: Patient and Carer Education for Self-management

administrator

Learning objectives

To develop the psychiatrist’s ability to implement self-management support
To offer research evidence emphasising the importance of different components of self-management
To increase knowledge of self-management courses and workshops available to patients and their nominated carers
To improve knowledge of resources and support agencies available for patients and their carers
To improve knowledge of resources and support agencies available for groups with differing needs

Topic areas

4.1: Information, Knowledge and Skills

4.2: Agencies that Provide General Information on Mental Health

4.3: Condition-specific Information and Resources

4.4: General Physical Well-being

4.5: Self-management Programs

4.6: Indigenous and CALD Populations

4.7: Working with Young People

4.8: Review of Module 4

True or false?

To begin, try the pre-module test. This test will be repeated at the end of the module.

1. To successfully implement self-management, psychiatrists need to encourage patient education.

2. The psychiatrist does not need to consider carer education.

3. Patients and carers need to develop both knowledge and skills for successful self-management.

4. Patients and carers will easily find resources and support agencies without the help of the psychiatrist.

5. A good starting point for the patient and carer is for the psychiatrist to provide details of self-help and support groups.

6. Many patients find that a healthy lifestyle has a positive effect on their general well-being.

7. Self-management programs are only useful in disease-specific illnesses such as arthritis.

8. CALD patients and carers require culturally-appropriate translated information.

9. Patients with a serious mental illness who have young children need accessible support groups, greater resources and reassurance that their children will not be removed from their care.

10. The self-management processes and literature discussed so far in this resource are not relevant to young people. A different approach is required.