interactionist approach treating schizophrenia

Question 1

strength (support for treatment) DW

Answer 1

P: There is support from studies using combinations of treatments of schiz
E: Tarrier et al randomly allocated 315 patientsto a medication and CBT group, medication and support counselling or a control group (medication only). Patients in the two combination groups showed lower symptom levels that those in the medication only group.
E: This shows that using both treatments is much more effective than just using one showing a clear advantage of adopting an interactionist approach to treatment.
I: This therefore means that patients have a better quality of life with less symptoms and therefore patients should be offered this interactionist approach.

Question 2

limitation (flawed logic for the interactionist treatments) DW

Answer 2

P: The interactionist treatment for schizophrenia may have flawed logic.
E: Turkington et al argued that just because there is a good logical fit between the interactionist approach and using combination treatments , this does not mean that the interactionist approach to schiz is correct. Just because combined biological and psychological treatments are more effective than individual treatments, this does not provide support for the interactionist approach.
E: This is similar to the fact that just because antipsychotic drugs reduce the symptoms of schiz it does not mean that schiz is biological in origin. This error of logic is known as treatment causation fallacy and is unlikely to ever be resolved.
I: If patients don’t know the real cause behind their illness then they’re not going to trust their doctor and possibly refuse treatment.

Question 3

limitation (treatments aren’t cost effective) DW

Answer 3

P: Although there is evidence to support the interactionist treatments of schiz they are not cost effective.
E: For example, giving a sufferer biological and psychological treatment is much more costly than giving them antipsychotic drugs alone and Tarrier et al found out that even though combination therapies reduced symptom levels in sufferers, it did not reduce their readmission to hospital.
E: This means that it puts strain on the already struggling NHS and they may be less likely to offer an interactionist treatment.
I: If the interactionist treatment isn’t reducing readmission rates, then relapse rates are going to increase, which raises the question of whether the interactionist treatment is really useful at all? because what’s the point if there just going to relapse and worsen their symptoms.