• The program is not flexible to individual schedules. Given the group format, there is usually a set meeting time and place, and you may have to travel to attend.
• Information and activities are general enough to meet the needs of the group, but may not fit in with your individual needs and preferences.
• You may not be comfortable in a group setting, which involves speaking in front of others and sharing personal information.
• You may not be able to identify with others’ experiences and/ or find these discouraging.
• If you share information that you want to keep private, you can’t guarantee that it won’t be shared outside the group. However, it is strongly encouraged that group members are respectful and don’t break each others’ trust.
• Sessions can be long (90 minutes) over six months so requires ongoing commitment and motivation to attend. However, the actual number of sessions offered varies.
• Group psycho-education may help you to stay on medications (adherence). However, research shows that people participating in group psycho-education appear to stay on some but not all medications more consistently than people having usual care.

For me... it's this holistic approach to managing my illness... it's about the medication working together with the psychological options.