The Interactionist Approach to Treating Schizophrenia Flashcards
What does the interactionist approach suggest?
- Schizophrenic patients have used a combination therapy that often involves drug therapy and psychological therapy like CBT
- Drug therapy often tackles biological correlates of the condition whilst psychotherapeutic approaches simultaneously address the wider aspects of the condition
- Although it may blur the experimental effect of each treatment being used, this combined approach can deliver greater benefits to the patient (e.g. reduced chance of relapse)
What are the studies which indicate how an interactionist approach to treatment was used?
- Startup
- Garrett
How does Startup’s study show an interactionist approach to treatment?
- He used drug therapy and psychological therapy to create a combination therapy
- Led to more positive effects with the condition
How does Garrett’s study show an interactionist approach to treatment?
- Described successfully using CBT to change a patients mind about taking the antipsychotic drugs she was prescribed
- This reduced her schizophrenia symptoms
- Shows that CBT can be appropriate for schizophrenic patients
If the point is:
A weakness of the interactionist approach to treating schizophrenia is that it has economic implications that could affect the NHS.
What is the explanation and link?
Explanation- combination therapies are more expensive than single therapies and this needs to be considered in a cash strapped NHS. As the NHS is funded by the government through taxes, funding these treatments could put more strain on public spending. However, although combined therapies are more expensive, in the short term they are more cost effective as there is a reduced chance of relapse.
Link- This implies that the economy may be negatively impacted in the short term costs of treatments, but positively impacted as people with schizophrenia can return to work and contribute to the economy.
If the point is:
A weakness of the interactionist approach to treating schizophrenia is that it may still suffer from problems associated with each type of therapy that could lower its effectiveness.
What is the evidence and link?
Evidence- For example, despite its combined approach, patients may still suffer from side effects from drug therapy such as weight gain, blurred vision and tardive dyskinesia. Furthermore, despite its combined approach, patients who go through CBT must still possess certain characteristics such as issues with age.
Link- This suggests that, although a combined approach to treatment may deliver twice the benefits, but could still present problems for patient’s wellbeing.
If the point is:
A strength of the interactionist approach to treating schizophrenia is that it has supporting evidence.
What is the evidence and link?
Evidence- Tarrier et al used 315 patients with schizophrenia and randomly allocated them to 1 of 3 groups: antipsychotics and CBT, antipsychotics and supportive councelling, or a control group of antipsychotics alone. Patients in the 2 combined groups showed significantly lower symptom levels than the control group.
Link- This implies that the interactionist approach provides a more comprehensive and effective treatment for schizophrenia.
If the point is:
A strength of the interactionist approach to treating schizophrenia is that a combined interactionist therapy can be used in novel ways to help reduce the distress experienced by the patients.
What is the explanation, evidence and link?
Explanation- Usually, medication is prescribed to reduce the symptoms of a mental health condition to enable the patient to access psychological therapy, such as CBT. This is to, for example, reduce delusions that a schizophrenic patient might have so that they can start to trust their therapist and open up to them.
Evidence- However, Garrett described successfully using CBT to change a patients mind about taking their antipsychotic drugs she was prescribed, therefore reducing her symptoms in that way.
Link- This could suggest that there are multiple ways in which an interactionist approach to treating schizophrenia can benefit patients.
What are the evaluation points for the interactionist approach to treating schizophrenia?
– It has economic implications that could affect the NHS
– It may still suffer from problems associated with each type of therapy that could lower its effectiveness
+ It has supporting evidence
+ A combined interactionist therapy can be used in novel ways to help reduce the distress experienced by the patients
