treatments for schizophrenia

Question 1

what is CBT

Answer 1

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a short term treatment which lasts for 5-20 sessions. It involves patients working with a therapist. The therapist work with the patient to train them to get out of irrational and negative thoughts. With schizophrenia, patients learn to re-evaluate their delusions and the voices in their head to make rational decisions.

Question 2

what are anti-psychotics

Answer 2

Antipsychotic drugs are a type of medication.

available on prescription.

used to treat mental illnesses (e.g., schizophrenia and depression)

designed to help people who experience psychotic episodes.

can be taken in liquid form or tablet form, and even as injections.

Question 3

two types of anti-psychotics

Answer 3

conventional and atypical

Question 4

conventional

Answer 4

First licensed in the 1950’s.
Side effects: tiredness, Tardive Dyskinesia (involuntary jerky movements in the face or body), seizures, heart problems and neuro-muscular problems (e..g, Parkinson’s disease). Not all people will experience these, and some people only experience some of them.

Question 5

atypical

Answer 5

First licensed in the 1990’s.
Side effects: less likely to experience neuro-muscular problems but more likely to experience rapid weight gain

Question 6

how do anti-psychotics work

Answer 6

• They block some of the dopamine receptors
• This stops some of the chemical messaging passing through the brain
• By reducing the chemical messaging, this reduces the effects of the psychotic episode

Question 7

how can anti-psychotics help

Answer 7

Both conventional and atypical antipsychotics help with the positive symptoms of schizophrenia (thoughts/feelings a person would not normally have when well, e.g., delusion and hallucinations

Only atypical antipsychotics help with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia
(thoughts/behaviours a person had before being ill, e.g., lethargy, social withdrawal)

Question 8

strengths of anti-psychotics

Answer 8

• Are often effective in lessening the effects of psychotic episodes and suppressing them
• Quick, not as time consuming as psychotherapy

Question 9

weaknesses of anti-psychotics

Answer 9

Takes a long time to find the right dosage or prescription that will suit yourself

Many side effects

Question 10

strengths of CBT

Answer 10

Can be conducted online, thus can make the patient more comfortable by staying at home

Can be an alternative to medicine (patients cannot take on the side effects or the medicine has no effect)

Easier to track down patients who do not go to therapy (compared to patients who do not take their medication)

Question 11

weaknesses of CBT

Answer 11

Less effective and higher chance of relapse than medication