Schizophrenia: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Flashcards
What is the aim of CBT?
Help patients identify irrational/delusional thoughts and change them into more rational ones vias disputing - making them less threatening
What is empirical disputing?
Therapist asks patient where is the evidence of their delusion/hallucination
How does empirical disputing help?
Helps patients understand the delusion/hallucination is not real and the therapist could explain that it is just a symptom of their Schizophrenia.
What does offering more plausible explanations for these symptoms do?
Reduce anxiety/distress
What does offering more plausible explanations for these symptoms help patients realise?
Their beliefs are not based in reality and their thoughts are less threatening
What is positive self talk?
If an individual hears negative voices, they can say positive statements that challenge the auditory hallucinations, so over time the thoughts and hallucinations become less threatening
What is a self-distraction strategy?
E.g., listening to music to drown out voices when they occur
1 - Who researched the effectiveness of CBT?
Lauhar et al
1 - What did Lauhar et al do?
Reviewed the results of 34 studies of CBT as a treatment for Schizophrenia.
1 - What did they conclude?
That CBT has a significant but small effect on both positive and negative symptoms
1 - What did Lauhar demonstrate?
That CBT is fairly effective in treating Schizophrenia by challening patients irrational thoughts, can reduce symptoms of depression
1 - What is worth noting down?
Out of the 34 studies, CBT only had a small impact on Schizophrenia symptoms
1 - What does it place doubt on?
The effectiveness of CBT as a treatment for Schizophrenia
2 - What is a limitation of CBT?
It requires motivation and committment for patients to attend sessions
2 - What might patients suffer from?
Negative symptoms of Schizophrenia such as avolition
2 - What else does CBT require?
Patients to engage in therapy
2 - What might someone with Schizophrenia lack?
Lack of awareness and an innaccurte perception of reality
2 - In some cases, when is CBT effective?
When combined with antipsychotics
2 - Why is CBT effective when combined with drugs?
Drugs help patient motivate themselves to attend the sessions/increase patient awareness
2 - What is CBT alone?
Not effective for all cases of Schizophrenia
3 - What does CBT avoid?
Chemical dependence
3 - Why does CBT avoid chemical dependence?
It encourages individuals to identify and challenge their irrational/delusional thoughts independently
3 - What does CBT allow?
Individuals to have control over their own behaviour
3 - What is CBT unlike?
Drug therapy
3 - What does drug therapy impose?
The chemical straitjacket
3 - What does the drug control?
The activity of neurotransmitters in the brain like Dopamine to reduce symptoms of Schizophrenia which could cause dependence
3 - What is the link for chemical dependence?
Some may prefer CBT as a more appropriate treatment for Schizophrenia
