Treatment of sz-EVAL Flashcards
One STRENGTH of CBT is that it has RESEARCH support.
- Meta-analysis of 50 studies found only a SMALL improvement on symptoms like DELUSIONS and HALLUCINATIONS.
*Small improvement disappeared when studies only used BLIND testing.
Suggests that CBT can show SOME effectiveness but it is MINIMAL in treatment of sz.
Also, improvement disappeared with blind-testing which suggests that there may be INVESTIGATOR effects/researcher bias and perhaps they only saw improvement as they KNEW who have been given CBT. Therefore this is an element which QUESTIONS the effectiveness of CBT as a psych treatment of sz.
more SUPPORT for CBT as a treatment is that researchers found a 25-50% REDUCTION in recovery time for patients given a COMBO of medication and CBT, showing that patients given CBT ALONGSIDE drugs can make RAPID improvements.
SUPPORTS cbt as a psych treatment of sz as it REDUCED recovery time, but suggests that the REDUCTIONIST approach of using CBT alone may be MISSING other important BIO causes. Therefore an INTERACTIONIST approach using drugs AND cbt would be a more EFFECTIVE way of using cbt as a psych treatment of sz.
one STRENGTH of FAMILY therapy is RESEARCH SUPPORT.
*meta analysis of 53 studies from EUROPE, ASIA, USA investigated EFFECTIVENESS of family therapy.
*Results compared to family and drug therapy and found that family therapy INCREASED a patients COMPLIANCE with medication and REDUCTION in relapse risk and HOSP admission for up to 2 YEARS after.
Suggests that family therapy is EFFECTIVE in REDUCING relapse and also in the LONG-TERM.
However, CRITICS argue that the findings are LESS to do with family therapy and MORE that it increases COMPLIANCE to meds (an INDIRECT effect)
The patients are MORE likely to benefit from the DRUGS because they’re MORE likely to COMPLY with their drug routine. Therefore results may not be due to the family therapy as an ACTUAL treatment for sz, but family therapy DOES play a part in the REDUCTION of their symptoms.
Another STRENGTH of F.T is that it’s COST EFFECTIVE.
*Decreases relapse rates and need for hosp, also EDUCATES family members to help MANAGE a patients medication regime. Which DECREASES the need for medical help.
*Sz commission estimates FT is cheaper than standard care by £1004 over THREE years.
This is a STRENGTH of family therapy as it REDUCES medical costs elsewhere and has POSITIVE implications for the economy, SAVING money in the NHS.
Means that MORE people could be treated for sz via family therapy due to cost-effectiveness.
One WEAKNESS of both treatments is that they are REDUCTIONIST.
*CBT is MACHINE reductionist as it jus treats INFO processing problems e.g. DYSFUNCTION in central contorl
*Family therapy is ENVIRO reductionist as it jus ttreats our family environment.
This may be a PROBLEM as there may be OTHER treatments which look at OTHER factors which may be causing sz which may need to be CONSIDERED e.g. dopamine and drug therapy.
So we should take an INTERACTIONIST approach to treatment instead. E.g. treat sz with BOTH drugs and cbt.
This would be BENEFICIAL as it would allow MORE than one cause to be treated at once. Therefore it still shows support for the psych treatment for sz but would suggest that it could be even MORE effective with a COMBO of therapies.
