PSYCHOEDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR THE EFFECTIVE ACTIVITY OF A SOCIAL WORKER

Abstract

The article is devoted to defining the role of psychoeducation in various spheres of professional activity, including in the system of training and activity of social work specialists. The term “psychoeducation” is borrowed from foreign clinical practice and is defined as teaching individuals with mental health difficulties and their family members about the nature of the disorder, in particular about its etiology, progression, consequences, prognosis, treatment and alternatives. It is established that at the present stage psychoeducation consists of analysis, explanation of the stages of psychological changes, learning to identify and use one’s own personal resource in achieving psychoemotional stability. In conditions of war in Ukraine, the entire population should possess psychoeducational competencies, and the emphasis is placed on the professional activity of providers of medical and social services. The article lists the areas of application of psychoeducational measures: healthcare, social work, pedagogy, management. Since psychoeducation has a wide potential in many areas of personal life and professional activity, foreign studies have developed several complementary theories and models that create a basis for understanding the role of psychoeducation in the social work system. It is noted that the main emphasis in psychoeducational work since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine was placed on stabilizing the mental state of providers of social, educational and medical services, mastering self-help skills and further transferring the acquired knowledge. The current direction of developing educational programs or trainings focused on developing the competencies of social workers in the field of mental health is indicated.