Psychological Treatments of Schizophrenia (Paper 3)* Flashcards
Outline how CBT works in treating schizophrenia.
- Patient and therapist will identify irrational thoughts.
- Challenge these thoughts - prove they have no grounds.
- Inform the patient of the psychological cause of hallucinations and delusions to make them less afraid of them.
What did Turkington et al.’s case study demonstrate?
The patient believed the Mafia were plotting to kill him, the therapist explained that there were less frightening experiences and challenged the grounds for the patient’s delusions.
How does family therapy work in the treatment of schizophrenia?
- Aims to involve the whole family to reduce expressed emotion.
- Therapist will form an alliance with the family.
- Aims to improve the family’s beliefs about, and behaviour towards, schizophrenia.
What did Pharoah et al. suggest?
Family therapy also increases the likelihood a patient will comply with medication - reducing relapse rates and re-admissions into hospital.
Give two advantages of psychological therapies for schizophrenia.
Advantages:
- Evidence supporting CBT’s efficacy - Jauhar et al. - 34 studies - concluded that there was significant evidence for its efficacy.
- Evidence supporting family therapy’s efficacy - McFarlane - relapse rates were reduced by 50-60% - reduced re-hospitalisations - beneficial for the economy.
Give two disadvantages of the psychological therapies in treating schizophrenia.
Disadvantages:
- Quality of evidence is lacking - Thomas - different studies used different CBT techniques - difficult to predict the efficacy of CBT for different individuals when various therapies have been studied.
- Not an absolute cure - CBT improved the ability to cope with the symptoms of schizophrenia - though there is a significant reduction in both positive and negative symptoms.
How do token economies work?
Patients are given rewards (secondary reinforcer) for positive behaviours which can be exchanged for primary reinforcers e.g. food or privileges.
What did Matson et al. identify as the two major benefits of token economy?
- Quality of life - improves within the hospital - patients become more sociable with each other.
- Normalises behaviour - makes it easier to adapt back into society.
Give an advantage of token economy.
Advantages:
- Corroborating evidence for its efficacy - Gromacki et al - triangulated findings from 7 key studies - all studies showed a reduction in negative symptoms and a decline in the frequency of repugnant behaviours.
- Though publication bias means there is often more evidence to support token economies than studies that refute its efficacy as a treatment.
Give two disadvantages of token economies.
Disadvantages:
- Ethically questionable - imposing the norms of one person on another - punishing them if they do not adapt - potential for the exasperation of an ill person’s anxiety.
- There are more ethical alternatives - e.g. art therapy is a high-gain, low risk alternative as suggested by Chiang et al. - art therapy may be a more pleasurable experience for patients.
