Effectiveness in psychiatric care: IV. Achieving effective medication management for major affective disorder

Although effective medications for the treatment of Axis I disorders have been developed, achieving adequate, let alone, optimal medication regimens has been difficult. This hypothesis-generating study had the objective of dissecting the process of medication-management among 24 previously hospitalized affective disorder patients, their families, and their doctors in Italy, Japan, and the United States as well as identifying their outcomes. The data demonstrated significant positive associations between outcome and delivery of adequate medication as well as psychoeducation (about the illness and its treatment) to both patient and family. These results suggested that, regardless of country, medication was necessary but insufficient without the practitioner delivering a family intervention and psychoeducation.