psychological therapy: family therapy

Question 1

who does family therapy take place between?

Answer 1

families and the identified patient

Question 2

what is the aim of family therapy?

Answer 2

to improve the quality of communication and interaction between family members

Question 3

what strategies do family therapists use to improve the functioning of a family that has a member with schizophrenia? (pharoah et al. 2010)

Answer 3

• reducing negative emotions
• improving family’s ability to help

Question 4

how family therapy helps: reducing negative emotions

Answer 4

• aims to reduce levels of EE, especially negative emotions such as anger and guilt, which create stress
• reducing stress reduces the likelihood of relapse

Question 5

how family therapy helps: improving family’s ability to help

Answer 5

• therapist encourages family members to form a therapeutic alliance where they all agree on the aims of the therapy
• therapist tries to improve families’ beliefs about and behaviour towards schizophrenia
• ensuring family members achieve a balance between caring the for the individual with schizophrenia and maintaining their own lives

Question 6

model of practice for working with families dealing with schizophrenia (burbach 2018)

Answer 6

1. sharing basic information. providing emotional and practical support
2. identifying resources ie. what different family members can (and cannot) offer
3. encouraging mutual understanding, creating a safe space for all family members to express their feelings
4. identifying unhelpful patterns of interaction
5. skills training eg. learning stress management techniques
6. relapse prevention planning
7. maintenance for the future

Question 7

evaluation: evidence for effectiveness (mcfarlane 2016)

Answer 7

• review concluded that family therapy was one of the most consistently effective treatments available for schizophrenia
• relapse rates were found to be reduced, typically by 50-60%
• using family therapy as mental health initially starts to decline is particularly promising

Question 8

evaluation: clinical advice (NICE)

Answer 8

recommends family therapy for everyone with a diagnosis of schizophrenia

Question 9

evaluation: benefits for all family members (lobban and barrowclough 2016)

Answer 9

• effects are important as families provide the bulk of care for people with schizophrenia
• by strengthening the functioning of a family as a whole, family therapy lessens the negative impact of schizophrenia on other family members
• strengthens ability of family to wider the person with schizophrenia
• wdier benefits beyond positive impact on identified patient

Question 10

evaluation: economic benefits

Answer 10

reduced relapse rates and better ability of families to provide the bulk of care, so the state does not need to pay as much