Psychology C2 - treatment and managements Flashcards
skills training
skills training basics
-learned behaviour that can help manage stress or control an addiction
-learn skills as we grow and develop, unconsciously
-learned through training –could be structured or unstructured
-client’s self-efficacy increases because they learn they are capable of controlling their own behaviour successfully
assertiveness training
-conflict in relationships = a common stressor that triggers relapse
-disagreements escalate into arguments that become manipulative/ aggressive OR client avoids confrontation for fear it may develop into conflict
-helps client to cope with conflicts in a controlled and rational way
-reduces chances of turning to drugs, shopping or gambling
anger management
-some addicted people can’t control their emotions
-arousal = expressed as anger especially in stressful situations
-clients may carry anger from their childhood
-can help client express emotions more constructively
social skills training (SIT)
-clients benefit from developing skills that help them cope with anxiety in social situations
-Griffiths = suggests that addicted gamers may lack such skills
-people recovering from addictions will encounter situations with cues, trigger cravings
-focuses on improving verbal and non-verbal communication
skills training techniques – group discussion
-takes place in small groups
-everyone shares experiences and ideas, discuss what could work or why it hasn’t worked
-identify common high-risk situations to be explored further
skills training techniques – modelling and role play
-therapist models skills to group
-clients imitate the skill in a role play, could be recorded for playback - discuss interaction
-individual client gets feedback from therapist
-therapist positively reinforces clients behaviour with praise and encouragement
skills training techniques – homework
-tasks set, client practices developing skills in real world
-carefully planned so that early tasks = achievable, becomes more challenging
-client could keep diary of feedback
skills training techniques – visualisation
-client imagines situation where they need to be assertive
-mentally work through steps in interaction before role play
-helps client to feel prepared in a real-life situation
support for effectiveness
(evaluation)
+
-research evidence showing it can be effective
-example, study compared addiction treatments by randomly placing ‘problem gamblers’ into 4 groups; included CBT and skills training
-after treatment, pps in all groups gambled less and spent less money – continued after one year
-no significant differences between treatments - equally effective (Toneatto 2016)
-findings showed that gambling treatment = treated effectively with 6-session skills training programme – without cognitive restructuring
long-term effectiveness
(evaluation)
+
-long-term benefits
-Toneatto, significant reductions in gambling after skills training were present after a year
-pps still gambled less and spent less money
-skills training = ‘future-focused’
-aim = clients learn the skills they can use in high-risk situations encountered in the future
-skills make them prepared to cope, less likely to relapse into addiction or be overwhelmed
-desirable outcome, real problem = finding solutions that work permanently
role of cognitive factors
(evaluation)
-
-skills training lacks a cognitive element
-it assumes that stressed/addicted people can be helped without addressing underlying cognitive distortions/irrational beliefs
-evidence that CBT = more effective for a wide range of people – benefits whole range of clients up to severely-dependent (Heather et al. 2006)
-suggests skills training = more effective when used as the behavioural component of CBT instead of separate treatment for stress/addiction
