Psychological treatment: family therapy

Question 1

Leff et al

Answer 1

• 24 participants in a programme that involved:
  -> educational sessions dealing with the nature of schizophrenia, its symptoms and the best way to deal with difficult behaviour
  -> group meetings between families to discuss how they dealt with schizophrenic family members
  -> family sessions where social workers and other professionals were present
• families involved in the intervention showed a significant decrease in critical comments towards the patient and reduce their over-involvement (high EE)
• 78% of patients in the control group were readmitted to the hospital, compared to only 14% of the experimental group

Question 2

Vaughn and Leff

Answer 2

• looked at schizophrenic patients returning to either high or low EE households
• low EE: effect of no medication was insignificant
• high EE: relapse was increased with more face-to-face contact, and no medication relapse rate rose to 92%

Question 3

Anderson et al

Answer 3

• relapse rate was almost 40% when patients had drugs only
• 20% when patients had family therapy
• <5% when family therapy and medication were used together