Evaluate Methods of Modifying Behaviour - Antipsychotic Drugs Flashcards
Evaluate the effectiveness of conventional antipsychotics…
Jonathan Cole et al’s (1964) findings suggested that schizophrenia could be treated with drugs, as he found that 75% of those given antipsychotics were considered to be much improved compared to 25% of those given a placebo
Evaluate the effectiveness of atypical antipsychotics…
Atypical antipsychotics are generally considered more effective
Dragon Ravanic et al (2009) compared conventional and atypical drugs in 325 individuals with schizophrenia, finding that over a five year period psychometric scores favoured the atypical drugs and that atypical drugs had fewer adverse effects (0.9 events in those given clozapine)
Evaluate the difficulty of assessing effectiveness of antipsychotics…
Research ignores the major problem of non-compliance, where individuals with chronic schizophrenia lack the insight into their condition, believe that there is nothing wrong and refuse the medication
Maria Rattenbacher and colleagues (2004) found full compliance in only 54.2% of schizophrenics, suggesting that ‘real-world’ application of antipsychotics would not be as effective
Evaluate side effects…
Major problem of both drugs, including Parkinsonism, with psychiatrists having to consider if the benefits offered are worth the potential costs of the side effects, especially in cases of acute episodes where antipsychotics ay be administered without valid consent
Evaluate chemical straitjackets…
Antipsychiatry movement states that antipsychotics are little more than chemical straitjackets and are simply a means of keeping people under-control
Thomas Szasz (1960) argued that the use of drugs is no more sophisticated than believing in demonology, and that the idea of mental illness was a way of excluding non-conformists from society
Evaluate asylums or care in the community…
Stephen Lawrie (2011) claimed that drugs revolutionised the care of schizophrenia, changing it from something that required institutionalisation to something that could be treated in the community
Antipsychotics have enabled those with schizophrenia to lead more normal lives
Evaluate the risk of violence…
Those who don’t follow their drug therapy is that they may pose a threat to themselves or others
Jari Tiihonen et al. (2006) noted a 37-fold increase in suicide in patients who stopped taking medication, suggesting that even tough we can’t sure that lack of compliance caused this increase, it may still be a risk factor
