Schizphrenia: Psychological Therapies

Question 1

What is cognitive behavioural therapy

Answer 1

method for treating mental disorders based on cognitive+ behavioural techniques
- the aim involves helping people identify irrational thoughts and trying to change them

Question 2

How can CBT help with schizophrenia

Answer 2

• can help people to make sense of how their delusions/hallucinations impact their feelings/behaviours
• delusions can also be challenged so an individual can learn their beliefs are not reality based

Question 3

What is family therapy

Answer 3

• a psychological therapy carried out with all or some members of a family with the aim of improving their communication and reducing the stress of living as a family

Question 4

How does family therapy help

Answer 4

• pharaoh et al identified a range of strategies by which family therapies aim to improve the functioning of a family with a member experiencing schizophrenia
• such strategies work by reducing levels of stress and expressed emotion

Question 5

List some of the strategies identified by pharaoh et al to help family therapy

Answer 5

• forming a therapeutic alliance with all family members
• reduction of anger and guilt in family members etc

Question 6

What are ‘token economies’ in the context of treating schizophrenia

Answer 6

• a form of behavioural therapy, where desirable behaviours are encouraged by the use of selective reinforcement
• people are given rewards (tokens) when they engage in correct/sociably desirable behaviours

Question 7

outline the concept of tokens and rewards in token economy systems

Answer 7

• tokens - are given immediately to patents when they have carried out a desirable behaviour that has been targeted for reinforcement
  Rewards - tokens can be swapped later for more tangible rewards,tokens are secondary reinforcers and rewards are primary

Question 8

What are the three evaluation points for psychological therapies

Answer 8

• Evidence for effectiveness
• treatments improve quality of life but do not cure
• ethical issues

Question 9

Outline ‘Evidence for effectiveness ‘ as an evaluation point for psychological therapies for schizophrenia

Answer 9

• researchers have reviewed the results of 34 studies of CBT for schizophrenia
• concluded CBT has a significant, but fairly small effect on positive and negative symptoms
• pharaoh et al - reviewed family studies as a therapy type for schizophrenia + found it significantly reduces hospital readmission

Question 10

Outline ‘treatments improve quality of life but do not cure‘ as an evaluation point for psychological therapies for schizophrenia

Answer 10

• All psychosocial therapies for schizophrenia are designed to make the patients condition more manageable
• e.g. token economies help make the individuals behaviour more socially acceptable so they can better reintegrate into society

Question 11

Outline ‘ethical issues ‘ as an evaluation point for psychological therapies for schizophrenia

Answer 11

• do not have serious side effects like drug treatments
• however, they have proved controversial - token economies in particular
• privileges, services etc become more available to patients with mild symptomise who can comply with smaller tasks, those with more severe symptoms may not be able to engage at all