Family Therapy

Question 1

Family therapy Ao1

Answer 1

Altering relationship communication patterns within dysfunctional families

Works by reducing expressed emotion and stress level which may contribute to patients risk of relapse

Aim to reduce levels of expressed emotions

Question 2

What are the 4 things family therapy does ?

Answer 2

Improving families beliefs and behaviour towards sz (importance of taking medications)

Reducing stress of caring for a relative

Decreasing feelings of guilt and anger in family members

Helping family members achieve balance between caring for induvidual with sz and maintaining own lives

Question 3

Family therapy Ao3 strength

Answer 3

RTS family therapy as a treatment for sz conducted by leff et al

Found in first 9 months of treatments 50 % of those receiving routine care relapsed

Compared with only 18 % receiving family therapy

Effective therapy for preventing relapse of sz symptoms though improving communication within families so reducing levels of expressed emotion

Increasing validity of family therapy as treatment for sz

Question 4

Family therapy Ao3 Limitation

Answer 4

Does not get to the root cause

Works by helping reduce stress of living with sz in a family

This does not eliminate symptoms completely

Question’s appropriateness and effectives of therapy

as when person stops therapy patient could relapse

Question 5

Family therapy Ao3 strength

Answer 5

Due to this weakenss an alternate therapy is art therapy

Allows patients to interpret emotions and feeling without necessarily using words , in safe environment

Also acts as healthy form of distraction from various symptoms such as disturbing thoughts , hearing voices etc

Rather than family therapy as patient may feel reluctant to talk openly to family about problems

Thus art therapy may be appropriate treatment than family therapy for sz families

Who may have difficulty expressing emotion due to dysfunctional communication