L10 - Family Therapy

Question 1

What is family therapy?

Answer 1

Psychotherapy which involves the whole family including the patient

Question 2

What does FT involve?

Answer 2

Talking openly about:
Symptoms
Behaviour
Treatment 
Family are encouraged to support each other

Question 3

Aims of FT

Answer 3

Lower EE
Reduce criticism and family guilt
Increase family tolerance
Increase positive communication

Question 4

Advantage of FT

Answer 4

Economic benefits
NICE found costs reduced when used alongside medication
Costs of FT offset by reduction of costs for drugs as relapse rate is lower

Question 5

Disadvantage of FT related to age and living arrangement?

Answer 5

Not as affective for those who are older and live by themselves
Don’t interact with family much
Family dysfunction is less likely to cause/maintain
Won’t work

Question 6

Disadvantage related to honesty?

Answer 6

Family and patient have to be open and honest

If family have high EE or aren’t willing to share personal info in presence of therapist it’s not effective

Question 7

FT is based on the idea of what?

Answer 7

Family dysfunction aids SZ development in patients and maintains the condition

Question 8

What was reviewed Pharoah’s research?

Answer 8

53 studies 2002-2010
Europe, Asia, N America
Family therapy v standard drug care

Question 9

Results of research?

Answer 9

Inconclusive - similar outcomes
Patients using FT increased medical compliance and had reduced relapse rates and hospitalisation
Didn’t improve living independence/employability skills

Question 10

Advantage of research?

Answer 10

Cross cultural - less bias so more population validity

Question 11

Disadvantages of the research

Answer 11

Sample wasn’t randomly allocated to both conditions increasing bias, making it less objective and fair
May just be that FT increases medical compliance so more likely to take drugs - don’t know if drugs or FT work