Psychoeducation to increase psychotherapy entry for older African Americans

Older African Americans have low rates of mental health service use, particularly for outpatient treatment. This pilot study examined the impact of a brief psychoeducational intervention on treatment entry and attendance for older African American medical patients referred for psychotherapy.

Before their first appointment, 32 participants attended a 15-minute individual psychoeducation session about psychotherapy that was specifically tailored for older African Americans. The rates of treatment entry and number of sessions attended over 3 months were compared between psychoeducation participants and a historical-comparison group of 37 African Americans referred for psychotherapy the previous year.

The proportion of patients starting therapy was equivalent in both groups (about 75%). However, psychoeducation participants attended significantly more sessions than the comparison group in the 3-month period. In 3-month follow-up interviews, participants reported favorable impressions of the psychoeducation experience.

This brief intervention was acceptable to older African Americans and may be a promising strategy to promote outpatient treatment in this underserved population.