Psychological Therapies For Schizophrenia

Question 1

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Answer 1

Helps patients challenge delusions and hallucinations.

Kingdon and Turkington (2005): Found that CBT improves symptoms and quality of life in schizophrenia

Question 2

How Does CBT Work for Schizophrenia

Answer 2

Patients work with a therapist to identify irrational beliefs and test their reality.

Patients develop coping strategies for dealing with symptoms and improve daily functioning

Question 3

Evidence for the Effectiveness of CBT

Answer 3

Kingdon and Turkington (2005): Found that CBT was effective in reducing both positive and negative symptoms.

Improves coping strategies and helps patients function better socially and occupationally

Question 4

Family Therapy

Answer 4

Aims to reduce Expressed Emotion (EE) and educate families.

Pharoah et al. (2010): Found that family therapy reduces relapse rates by improving family understanding

Question 5

How Does Family Therapy Help?

Answer 5

Aims to reduce emotional overreaction and negative behaviors within the family.

Teaches families how to support the patient, recognize early signs of relapse, and reduce stress

Question 6

Evidence for the Effectiveness of Family Therapy

Answer 6

Pharoah et al. (2010): Found that family therapy reduced relapse rates and improved overall patient outcomes.

Patients with supportive families showed a better response to treatment

Question 7

Token Economies

Answer 7

A behavioral treatment that reinforces desired behaviors through a system of rewards (tokens) that can be exchanged for privileges.

Commonly used in institutional settings

Question 8

How Does Token Economy Work?

Answer 8

Patients earn tokens for behaviors such as personal hygiene, engaging in activities, or socializing.

Tokens are then exchanged for rewards, such as extra recreation time or privileges.

Question 9

Evidence for Token Economy Effectiveness

Answer 9

Research shows token economies can improve behaviors in institutionalized settings.

Improves personal care and social behaviors in patients with schizophrenia

Question 10

strengths - CBT

Answer 10

✅ Reduces symptom severity
→ Example: Jauhar et al. (2014) found CBT has a significant, though small, effect on positive and negative symptoms.

✅ Empowers patients
→ Example: Helps individuals challenge delusions and develop coping strategies

Question 11

Limitations - CBT

Answer 11

❌ Limited effectiveness for severe cases
→ Example: Patients with extreme symptoms may struggle to engage in CBT.

❌ Doesn’t cure
→ Example: Manages symptoms, but doesn’t eliminate the disorder.