Psychological Therapy

Question 1

Outline CBTP as a psychological treatment for schiz

Answer 1

-Usually takes 5-20 sessions
-Helps client make sense if how their irrational cognitions impact their feelings & behaviour
-E.g. client hears demonic voices, they’ll be afraid, but therapist can convince them it’s from malfunctioning speech centre & it can’t hurt them if they ignore it, it’s less disabling
-Makes schizos better cope, leading to less stress & improves ability to function adequately

-Normalisation = teaching schizos voice-hearing is extension of ordinary experience of thinking words
-Reality testing = schizo & therapist jointly examine likelihood beliefs are true

Question 2

Outline how family therapies help treat schizophrenia

Answer 2

1. Reduces Negative Emotions:
   Aims to reduce levels of EE & emotion generally but especially negative emotions which create stress (anger & guilt)
   Reducing stress vital in reducing likelihood of relapse

2.Improves Family’s Ability to Help - Therapist encourages family members to form therapeutic alliance where they all agree on aims of therapy
Therapist tries to improve family’s beliefs & behaviour towards Schiz & ensure family members achieve balance between caring for schizo & maintaining own life

Question 3

Evaluate CBTP as as a treatment for schizophrenia

Answer 3

STRENGTH - Evidence of effectiveness
-Jauhar et al. (2014) reviewed 34 studies using CBTP with schiz, finding evidence for small but significant effects on both positive & negative symptoms
-Pontillo er al. (2016) found reductions in freq & severity of auditory hallucinations
-Clinical advise from NICE (2019), recommends CBTP for schiz
-Means both research & clinical experience support benefits of CBT from schiz

LIMITATION - Quality of evidence (wide range of techniques & symptoms in studies)
-CBT techniques & schiz symptoms vary widely from one case to another
-Thomas (2015) says different studies involved use of different CBT techniques & people with different combos of positive & negative symptoms
-Overall modest benefits of CBT for schiz may conceal variety of effects of different CBT techniques on different symptoms
-Hard to say how effective CBTP will be for partial air person with schiz

Question 4

Evaluate family therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia

Answer 4

STRENGTH - Evidence for effectiveness
-Review of studies by McFarlane (2016) found family therapy one of most consistently effective treatments available for schiz - Relapse rates decreased by 50-60%
-Family therapy as mental health initially starts to decline is particularly promising
-Clinical advise from NICE recommends family therapy for everyone with schiz
-Means family therapy likely to benefit people with both early & full-blown schiz

STRENGTH - Benefits to whole family
-Therapy benefits patient & family providing bulk of care
-Review of evidence by Lobban & Barrowclough (2016) found these effects important as family provide bulk of care
-By strengthening functioning of whole family, family therapy lessens negative impact of schiz on other family members & strengthens ability of family to support schizo
-Means family therapy has wider benefits beyond obvious impact on identified patient