schizophrenia: biological therapies ao3

Question 1

Evidence for effectiveness

Answer 1

P: there is evidence to support the effectiveness of drug therapies
E: Thornley et al. (2003)
• Data from 13 trials with 1121 participants showed that chlorpromazine was associated with better overall functioning and reduced symptom severity when compared to the placebo.
Meltzer (2012)
• Clozapine is more effective than typical antipsychotics and other atypical antipsychotics, and that it is effective in 30-50% of treatment-resistant cases where typical antipsychotics have failed.
E: showing effectiveness with both atypical and typical, w atypical liek clozapine work in cases of treatment resistant schiz
L: supporting their effectiveness

Question 2

Counter to research support - issues w research

Answer 2

P: Healy (2012) has suggested that there are serious flaws with evidence for effectiveness.
EE: • For example most studies are of short-term effects only and some successful trials have had their data published multiple times. Exaggerating significance of findings
• antipsychotics have a Powerful calming affect, make it easy to demonstrate that they have some positive affect on people experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia this is not the same as saying they really reduce the severity of psychosis.
L: → This means that the evidence base for antipsychotic effectiveness is less impressive than it first appears.

Question 3

Serious side effects

Answer 3

P: Typical antipsychotics are associated with a range of side-effects
E: • Dizziness, agitation, sleepiness, stiff jaw, weight gain and itchy skin.
• Long-term use can result in Tardive dyskinesia.
E: The most serious side-effects of antipsychotics is neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
• NMS results in high temperature, delirium and coma, and can be fatal.
L: Individuals to experience these may avoid such treatments, which makes the treatment ineffective.

Question 4

Moral downside to antipsychotics

Answer 4

P: The use of antipsychotics poses a bit of a moral dilemma.
E: • They calm patients distressed by hallucinations and delusions and they allow patients to engage with other treatments.
E: • It is believed that antipsychotics have been used in hospital situations to calm people with schizophrenia and make them easier for staff to work with.
L: drugs can be argued to be dehumanising bc they take
Away individual responsibility and control when they may have not consented esp if in psychotic state. So perhaps drugs prescribed to high risk patients who cannot engage in other treatments.