A feasibility study of expert patient and community mental health team led bipolar psychoeducation groups: implementing an evidence based practice

Table 3 Summated feedback from weekly post psychoeducation group semi-structured questionnaires

	Number of responses	Mean response
Item 1. How interesting did you find the session? (1 = not 10 = very)	69	9.1
Item 2.How easy or difficult did you find the material? (1 = too easy, 10 = too difficult, 5 just right)	69	5.6
Item 3. How useful was the session? (1 = not, 10 = very)	69	8.9
Item 4. How much material was covered in the session? (1 = too little 10 too much, 5 just right)	61	5.4
Item 5. Did you feel able to ask questions if you didn’t understand the material? (1 = not at all, 10 = definitely)	62	9.4

After each group session, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire; the responses have been summated and presented above. The questionnaire included a free text option and the responses have been analysed. The following themes emerged.
(1) Group Processes. There were comments about the generic benefits of working in a group as illustrated by the following: 'I enjoyed talking about my experience’, 'exchanging ideas’, 'group work’, 'team work’, 'talking as a group’, 'hearing others experiences’, 'group discussion’, 'debate and conversation’.
(2) There were also positive comments about the learning tools used e.g. flip charts, feedback, card sorting.
(3) Specifics of the Session. There were positive comments about the provision of information and the discussion on insight (5), coping strategies (4) and action plans (2). There were also positive comments about discussions linking high and low symptoms, different forms the illness takes in different people, medication topics (3), support networks, discussion on bipolar I and II and hospitalisation.
(4) General comments. Participants reported that the groups were “well presented”, “interesting”, “informative” and said that “we could have had more time”.

ISSN: 1471-244X