Psychoeducation to increase psychotherapy entry for older African Americans

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