Schizophrenia: One non-biological treatment

Question 1

What is the main aim of CBT?

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Answer 1

• Help client identify irrational thoughts, try change them

Question 2

What can trigger relapse in schizophrenics (irrational thoughts)?
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Answer 2

• Lack coping skills to manage their symptoms, vulnerable to stress

Question 3

How can stress of a situation be reduced and what can this help (irrational thoughts)?
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Answer 3

• Altering way person thinks/feels

- Prevents decompensation

Question 4

How may a therapist build an individuals self awareness and what can this help (irrational thoughts)?
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Answer 4

• Help them understand more of their condition
• Recognise situations that precede decompensation,
• Coping strats e.g. stress management (meditation)

Question 5

How can an individuals delusions/hallucinations be treated through CBT and an example?
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Answer 5

• Make sense of how their delusions/H impact their feelings/behaviour (understanding where symp from)
• Client hears voices believes they’re demons = naturally afraid, non bio explanations = >anxiety

Question 6

What are behavioural experiments and how can they combat a clients hallucinations/delusions?
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Answer 6

• Reality testing, client tests if their delusions are real
• Set up situation where they can test delusional belief
• Evidence collected in exprmts discussed, debunk erroneous beliefs
• Differentiate between confirmed/perceived reality

Question 7

How can motivational deficits be reduced through behavioural activation?
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Answer 7

• > Social withdrawal, anhedonia, reward +behaviour e.g. becoming ^socially active, ^pleasurable activities
• Address their sense of self, help realise they’re more than ‘schizo’ = feelings of marginalisation/stigmatisation

Question 8

Evaluate CBT as a treatment for schizophrenia

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Answer 8

NICE meta analysis of CBT (randomised ctrl trials). Found CBT effective in >rehospitalisation% (up to 18m). >Time spent in hospital (8.26d avg). >Symptom severity, ^psychosocial functioning at end/12months later

Doesn’t >symp/relapse. Kingdon et al. compared CBT w routine treatment/non bio intervention, CBT superior in 2/9 methodologically rigorous trials. In 1 study that had +result, blinding procedure lapsed, >validity

Kuipers et al. conducted randomised ctrl trial of CBT for schizo, found drug resistant clients improved when given delusions/hallucination specific CBT

Question 9

What is decompensation?

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Answer 9

• Decline from normal functioning to psychotic episode