schizophrenia- psychological treatments

Question 1

what are the two examples of psychological therapies for sz?

Answer 1

-CBT
-family therapy

Question 2

what is the aim of CBT?

Answer 2

to help clients identify irrational thoughts (e.g. delusions and hallucinations) and to change them

Question 3

how many sessions are suggested?

Answer 3

5-20 sessions

Question 4

how does CBT help?

Answer 4

-it helps clients understand their symptoms and make sense of how their delusions and hallucinations impact their feelings and behaviour
-for example, client may hear voice and believe they’re demons so will be afraid
-normalisation involves explaining to the client that hearing voices is an ordinary experience

Question 5

what’s the case example for CBT?

Answer 5

Turkington et al. (2004) treated a paranoid client who believed the mafia were plotting to kill him
-therapist acknowledged the clients anxiety and explained their were other, less frightening possibilities and gently challenged the client’s evidence for his belief in the mafia explanation

Question 6

what is the aim of family therapy?

Answer 6

to reduce levels of expressed emotion (EE) especially negative emotions such as anger and guilt which create stress

Question 7

why is reducing stress important for sz?

Answer 7

reduces the likelihood of relapse

Question 8

how does family therapy work?

Answer 8

-the therapist encourages family to form a theraputic alliance whereby they all agree on the aims of the therapy
-therapist also tries to improve families’ belief about and behaviour towards sz
-further aim is to ensure that family members achieve a balance between caring for the individual with sz and maintaining their own lives

Question 9

what is the model for family therapy?

Answer 9

Burbach’s (2018) model
-7 phases

Question 10

phases 1 and 2 of Burbach’s (2018) model

Answer 10

-share info and identify resources family can offer

Question 11

phases 3 and 4 of Burbach’s (2018) model

Answer 11

-learn mutual understanding and look at unhelpful patterns of interaction

Question 12

phases 5, 6 and 7 of Burbach’s (2018) model

Answer 12

-skills training (e.g. stress management techniques), relapse prevention and maintenance

Question 13

ao3 of CBT: its effectiveness

Answer 13

-Jauhar et al. (2014) reviewed 34 studies of CBT for sz and concluded that theres evidence for significant effects on symptoms
-Pontillo et al. (2016) found reductions in auditory hallucinations. clinical advice from NICE (2019) recommends CBT for people w sz
-means both research and clinical experience support CBT for sz

Question 14

ao3 of CBT: quality of evidence

Answer 14

-Thomas (2015) points out that different studies have focused on different CBT techniques and different people w/ different symptoms
-overall, modest benefits of CBT for sz may conceal a range of effects of different techniques on different symptoms
-means that its hard to say how effective CBT will be for treating a particular person w sz

Question 15

ao3 of CBT: does CBT cure?

Answer 15

-CBT may improve quality of life but not ‘cure’. as sz is a biological condition CBT should only improve ability to live w sz
-but studies report significant reductions in + and - symptoms of sz. suggests CBT does more than enhance coping
-may well be CBT is a partial cure for sz

Question 16

ao3 of family therapy: evidence for effectiveness

Answer 16

-McFarlane (2016) concluded family therapy is effective for sz. relapse rate were reduced by 50-60%
-particularly promising during time when mental health initially starts to decline. NICE recommends family therapy
-means family therapy is good for people born w both early and ‘full-blown’ sz

Question 17

ao3 of family therapy: benefits for whole family

Answer 17

-therapy is not just for the benefit of identified patient but also for the families that provide bulk of care for people w sz (Lobban and Barrowclough)
-FT lessens the negative impact of sz on the family and strengthens the ability of the family to give support
-means family therapy has wider benefits beyond the obvious positive impact on the identified patient

Question 18

ao3 of family therapy: which matters most?

Answer 18

-family therapy reduces relapse rates and makes families feel better able to provide the bulk of the care so it has economic benefits
-however, family therapy also has therapeutic benefits for people w/sz and their families
-suggests everyone wins, ultimately therapy should be for the benefit of the person and their family and any economic gain is a bonus.