Psychological treatment - AO3

Question 1

What is a strength for family therapy?

Answer 1

• P: Strength = research support
• E: McFarlane (2016): review showed FT consistently effective; relapse rates typically reduced by 50-60%
• E: NICE (2017) recommends use of FT for everyone who has SZ diagnosis
• L: So… there is evidence that FT is beneficial

Question 2

What is a strength of family therapy?

Answer 2

• P: Strength = benefits all family members
• E: Lobban and Barrowclough (2016): important because families provide the majority of care for people with SZ
• E: Further economic benefits – government resources spared (e.g. in creating/distributing medication)
• L: So… family therapy has wider benefits beyond impacts on patient

Question 3

What is a strength of CBT?

Answer 3

• P: Strength = research support
• E: Jauhar et al. (2014): reviewed 34 studies, evidence for small but significant effects on + AND - symptoms
• E: Pontillo et al. (2016): reduction in auditory hallucinations
  NICE (2017) recommends CBT for SZ
• L: So… both research and clinical experience support benefits of CBT

Question 4

What is a limitation of CBT?

Answer 4

• P: Limitation = low-quality evidence
• E: Thomas (2015): Techniques used in CBT AND person’s specific symptoms will vary
• E: Even if CBT is effective for one individual, that form may not be applicable to someone else
• L: So… effectiveness demonstrated is hard to generalise to all sufferers