Schizophrenia (CBT) Flashcards
CBT is rarely the only treatment for schizophrenia
CBT is often used alongside antipsychotics to help manage symptoms, but it’s not the sole treatment.
How does the cognitive approach explain schizophrenia?
The cognitive approach sees mental illness as being caused by problems with internal mental processes, leading to delusions or maladaptive thinking.
What is the aim of CBT in treating schizophrenia?
CBT aims to alter disordered thinking in schizophrenia to help patients manage symptoms and lead a relatively normal life.
What is the treatment aetiology fallacy?
The false belief that a medical treatment works, assuming it was the lack of that treatment that caused the disorder.
What does CBT aim to address in irrational thinking?
CBT helps patients become aware of cognitive errors and challenges maladaptive thoughts, showing they have no basis.
How does CBT for schizophrenia empower patients?
CBT helps schizophrenic patients develop cognitive skills to become more independent and confident.
How often does CBT for schizophrenia take place?
CBT typically takes place weekly or fortnightly for between 5 and 20 sessions.
What is the role of psychoeducation in CBT?
Psychoeducation helps patients understand their illness and learn how to manage symptoms.
What are some of the cognitive strategies used in CBT?
Cognitive strategies include Socratic questioning, dysfunctional thought diaries, and behavioural experiments.
What is Socratic questioning in CBT?
Socratic questioning is a method used by the therapist to challenge the patient’s thinking by asking curiosity-driven questions.
What is a dysfunctional thought diary?
A dysfunctional thought diary is used by the patient to note down maladaptive thoughts and come up with alternative interpretations of events.
What are behavioural experiments in CBT?
Behavioural experiments involve homework tasks where patients test beliefs by finding evidence to challenge their delusions.
How can CBT help patients who hear voices?
CBT helps patients identify and manage the voices they hear, often by recognizing them as part of their inner speech and learning strategies to cope.
What does Frith (1992) suggest about schizophrenics who hear voices?
Frith suggests that schizophrenics misattribute their inner speech to the outside world, leading to the perception of voices.
What did Kupiers et al (1997) find about CBT for schizophrenia?
Kupiers et al found that 50% of patients given CBT experienced a reduction in symptoms.
What did Benetall et al (1994) find about CBT for first episode schizophrenia?
Benetall et al found that CBT may be most effective for patients experiencing their first episode of schizophrenia.
What was Jauhar et al (2014)’s finding on CBT?
Jauhar et al found that CBT gave only a small therapeutic effect for schizophrenia patients.
What is a limitation of CBT as a treatment for schizophrenia?
CBT is rarely used alone; it’s often combined with antipsychotic medication. It also isn’t suitable for all patients, especially those in denial or with severe symptoms.
Why is the absence of a placebo group in CBT a concern?
Without a placebo group, it’s difficult to measure the true effectiveness of CBT in treating schizophrenia.
What ethical benefits does CBT have?
CBT doesn’t have any side effects and patients give consent, maintaining free will and the ability to withdraw at any point.
Why is CBT ineffective without antipsychotics?
CBT requires the patient to monitor and change their thinking, which is difficult to achieve without the use of antipsychotic medication.
What is a criticism of CBT for schizophrenia by Bentall et al (1994)?
Bentall argues that CBT focuses on controlling thought processes rather than understanding the root cause of the thoughts.
What social benefit does CBT offer?
CBT can help patients learn coping strategies to manage their symptoms, improving long-term outcomes and potentially reducing future hospitalizations.
Why is CBT not widely available on the NHS?
CBT is expensive and may not be widely accessible to all schizophrenia patients, despite its effectiveness when combined with antipsychotics.
