Psychological Therapies for Schizophrenia Flashcards
Therapies
CBT
Family intervention
CBT
CBT techniques
Outcome studies
Basic assumption of CBT
People often have distorted beliefs which influence their behaviour in maladapative ways
Someone with Sz may believe that their behaviour is being controlled by someone else
CBT used to help people identify + correct faulty interpretations of events
CBT techniques
P’s encouraged to trace back origins of symptoms in order to get a better idea of how symptoms might have developed
encouraged to consider ways in which they might test the validity of their faulty beliefs
Therapist lets p develop their own alternatives to these previous maladapative beliefs, looking at coping strategies already in patient’s mind
Outcome studies
Measure how well p does after treatment compared with the accepted form of treatment for condition
CBT = P experience fewer hallucinations + delusions + recover functioning to greater extent than those on antipsychotic alone
Research = reduction in recovery time, lower drop out rates + greater satisfaction when on combination
Family intervention
More frequent relapses in fams with high EE
Main aim = attempt to make fam life less stressful + reduce re-hospitalisation
Family intervention strategies
Forming an alliance of relatives who care for person with Sz
Reducing expressions of anger + guilt by family
Enhancing relatives’ ability to anticipate + solve problems
META of Family intervention studies
Pharoah et al
Compared outcomes of Fam intervention + standard care:
The use of fam intervention increased P’s compliance to medication
Fam intervention didn’t seem to improve living dependency or employment
Effectiveness of CBT
META: sig decrease in +ve symptoms of Sz after treatment
Most research on P’s using medication as well = hard to assess effectiveness of independent CBT
Appropriateness of CBT
Not everyone is suitable for CBT
Study of Sz in Hampshire = many p’s deemed unsuitable because theropists believed they wouldn’t engage with therapy
Ethical issues in Sz research
Could place indis at risk if medication is discontinued or put on placebo
Support for Family intervention
META: sig evidence
Comparing p’s to those receiving standard care alone = reduction in hospital admissions during treatment + in severity of symptoms
Fam intervention relapse rate = 26%
Standard care = 50%
Appropriateness of family intervention
It is associated with sig cost savings
The extra cost of family intervention is offset by a reduction in costs of hospitalisation because of lower relapse rates associated with family intervention
