Cognitive Behaviour Theroay Flashcards
What is the background of CBT?
Link to schizophrenia
CBT commonly used to treat patients with schizophrenia, NHS states that it usually takes place form 5 to 20 sessions can be conducted in groups or individually
Based on the assumption that schizophrenics have irrational and unrealistic thought processes
CBT helps to challenge these thoughts
What is the AIM of CBT
The aim of CBT to help patients identify irrational/delusions thoughts and change them into more rational ones via disputing.
What happens once the irrational thoughts have been identified?
Once irrational thought have been identified, for example a paranoid delusion that aliens were trying to abduct them, psychiatrist would challenge the patients irrational thought in order to encourage patients to come up with more plausible/ less threatening explanation
The therapists could use empirical disputing what is it?
The therapist could use empirical disputing in which the therapist would ask the patient Where the evidence of their delusion/hallucination
For example where’s evidence that aliens exist? Do you have a photograph of them?
How does disputing help patients?
The disputing helps patients to understand the delusions/hallucinations aren’t real and therapist explains that it’s just a symptom of their schizophrenia
Offering a more plausible explanations for these symptoms can reduce anxiety/distress and helps patients realise their their beliefs aren’t based on reality and that their thoughts are less threatening.
Why could positive talks be used?
Positive self talks can also be used, for example if an individual hears negative voices, they can say positive statements that challenge the auditory hallucinations.
The therapist could teach the patient self distraction strategies?
The therapist could also teach patients self distraction strategies, for example listening to music to drown out vices when they occur.
What do Jauhar et al research into
Research into effectiveness of CBT carried out by jauhar et al, reviewed 34 studies of CBT as a treatment of sz
Concluded that CBT has a significant but small effect on both positive and negative symptoms
Demonstrating that CHT is fairly effective in treating sz and that by challenging patients irrational thoughts it can reduce symptoms of sz.
Worth noticing that out of the 34 studies, CBT only had a small impact on sz symptoms
Therefore placing doubt on the effectiveness of CBT as a treatment of sz
What is a limitation of CBT?
Requires motivation and commitment from patients to attend sessions something that individuals suffering form negative symptoms of SZ such as avolition often lack.
CBT ALSO REQUIRES a patient to engage with the therapy, however, somebody with positive symptoms of SZ may have a lack of awareness and an in accurate perception of reality.
Therefore in some cases of Sz, CBTis only effective when combined with antipsychotics
This is because the drugs helps the patient to motivate themselves to attend/increase the patients awareness, therefore CBT alone may not be an effective treatment for all cases of SZ
Why may patients prefer this therapy?
Some may prefer this therapy as it avoids chemical dependence
Because CBT encourages individuals to identify and challenge there irrational thoughts independently, giving them control over their own behaviour
Unlike drug therapy which imposes the chemical straitjacket as drug control the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain such as dopamine to reduce symptoms of SZ, cause dependence. Due to this, some may prefer CBT as a more appropriate treatment for SZ
