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Dagmar Breznoscakova
University of P. J. Safarik Kosice, Slovakia
ScientificTracks Abstracts: J Neurol Clin Neurosci
Statement of the Problem: Emerging issues in the management of depression comprise nonadherence to treatment and treatment failures, depression recurrence and relapses, misidentification of incoming exacerbated phase and consequently, a chronification. The study sought to evaluate the impact of psychoeducation as part of the implemented national guidelines for treatment of depression on the course of depressive disorders in adults with depression on standard psychopharmacological treatment. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: This was a nonrandomized comparative study of 96 adults diagnosed with depression of moderate or severe degree without manifested psychotic symptoms who were assigned to the intervention based on a modified Munoz´s programme of depression prevention (n=49) or control (n=47) and were followed prospectively. Psychoeducational programme in this study was administered as part of the national guidelines for treatment of depression that have been implemented in clinical practice. Findings: There was no significant difference between experimental and control group in scores of the Beck anxiety inventory scale, Zung’s depression questionnaire and Montgomery and Äsberg depression rating scale at six months follow-up. In the experimental group, we found lower rates of re-hospitalisation within 1 year (2.1% vs. 16.7%; p<0.001), rehospitalisation after 1 year (6.3% vs. 25%; p<0.001), lower rates of sickness absence (11.5% vs. 29.2%; p<0.001) and less subjects who discontinued treatment early (6.3% vs. 28.1%; p<0.001). Conclusion & Significance: The psychoeducation within the implemented national guidelines significantly contributes to the increased quality of life of patients with depression in terms of reducing number of relapses, sickness absence and lowering the risk of early discontinuation of treatment. The findings implicate that psychoeducation should be a standard part of the management of depression that offers a new approach to the prevention of depression relapses.
Dagmar Breznoscakova, is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, researcher, forensic expert in psychiatry. Since 2016 has been the Vice-president of Slovak Psychiatric Association and CPT member Council of Europe in respect of Slovak Republic. Since 2012 she has been the chairwoman of the Section of Psychopharmacology Slovak Psychiatric Association, Slovak Medical Association. She also lectures and publishes in her field, focusing on affective and anxiety disorders, particularly bipolar disorder, comorbidity of mental disorders and psychosomatic connections. She is a co- author of several chapters in foreign as well as domestic publications, author of psychoeducational handbooks for patients and their relatives; all in all over 150 publication outputs. She holds prizes for the best original work for the journal Psychiatry practice and figures in the biographical encyclopedia Slovak personalities repubiky "Who is who". She organizes and actively participates in various psychoeducational and anti-stigma activities and is the chairwoman of ROZ ODOS Košice o. z., joining together patients, their relatives, professionals as well as the general public or supporters.
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