Cognitive treatments and explanations Flashcards
Cognitive explanation of schizophrenia-Frith
-Based on the idea that schizophrenia is the result of irrational and faulty information processing and cognitions.
-Frith developed a cognitive model of schizophrenia which suggests that dysfunctional thought processes lead to irrational cognitions and beliefs resulting in schizophrenia symptoms.
-Schizophrenics have cognitive biases which lead to faulty and irrational information processing, including meta-representation and a lack of central control
Metarepresentation and central control
-Metarepresentation is the ability to distinguish our own thought patterns and cognitions as our own-allows us to gain insight into our own thoughts and realise they are irrational, schizophrenics lack meta-representation leading to them misinterpreting their own thoughts as auditory hallucinations or having persecutions of external control as they do not feel their own cognitions are their own and lack insight into their own cognitions, it may also lead to delusions of persecution and visual hallucinations as they are unable to recognise when their beliefs are faulty, biased and irrational.
-Central control is the ability to suppress a desired response, schizophrenics have a lack of central control leading to an inability to suppress automatic thoughts and have to express them leading to off topic and incoherent speech.
-Negative symptoms can be seen as cognitive mechanisms to reduce high levels of mental stimulation experienced.
Who provided research support for the cognitive approach
-Spirling-Schizophrenics perform poorer on the stroop test-lack central control
-Lysaker-Schizophrenics perform poorer on metarepresentation tasks
+Practical app
+Practical application, led to the use of cognitive behavioural therapy to treat symptoms of schizophrenia by replacing irrational thought processes with more rational thought processes, also suggests that schizophrenia is the result of irrational thought processes-beneficial implications such as improving quality of life for those suffering.-Zimmerman found CBT is effective at treating symptoms
-Simplistic
-Cannot explain why schizophrenics have cognitive deficits leading to the disorder, too simplistic, deficits may be an effect of the disorder not a cause
-Reductionist-overlooks the role of biology
-Reduces all behaviour to cognitive deficits but overlooks the role of biology in potentially causing cognitive deficits-may be better explained by an interactionist model.
Who found CBT was effective at improving symptoms of schizophrenia and functionality
Zimmerman
What does the cognitive approach to treating schizophrenia involve
-Personal therapy involves evaluating beliefs, their triggers and their consequences and working with the client to challenge their irrational beliefs and replace them with healthier beliefs and provide better coping strategies,
Therapists may teach clients:
-Distractions from intrusive thoughts reducing distress and maldaptive coping mechanisms
-Challenge the meaning of intrusive thoughts-begin to recognise their thoughts and beliefs are irrational and challenge them reduing positive symptoms
-To increase/decrease social activity to distract from low moods
-Relaxation strategies to reduce personal distress
-Strategies like logical dispution and challenging the meaning of irrational thoughts and beliefs tailored to the client can help clients identify irrational thought patterns which lead to delusions and hallucinations and challenge them and replace them with more logical beliefs reducing positive symptoms
-Teaching clients coping strategies like healthy distractions, increasing or decreasing social activity and relaxation techniques reduce overall anxiety and distress and negative symptoms/unhealthy coping strategies
Limitations of CBT
-Cannot solely treat schizophrenia- drug therapy is needed in order to help individuals engage in CBT and to reduce extreme distress-limited effectiveness when used alone, has to be used in combonation for full benefits.
-Not suitable for all patients, especially those suffering severe cases who are unable to engage in therapy and may find it hard to trust clinicians or think logically and engage in CBT-not effective for all patients
-More costly than drug therapies
