Summary
Summary AQA A Level Psychology A* Notes on psychological therapies for schizophrenia
- Course
- Institution
Exemplary notes and A* terminology used throughout
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
studytogether
Reviews received
Content preview
Psychological therapy for schizophreniaCognitive behaviour therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy commonly used to treat people with
schizophrenia. It usually takes over a period of 5-20 sessions and can either be done in a group or an
individual basis. Cognitive behavioural therapy has two main components: the cognitive part and the
behavioural part. The cognitive component helps the person challenge their dysfunctional and
irrational thinking (eg delusions and hallucinations) in the aim to restructure it, and the behavioural
component helps them challenge their negative thoughts and understand how their irrational
cognitions impact their feelings and behaviour. The therapist will set tasks and homework in order to
gather evidence to challenge these negative thoughts and it allows the patient to consolidate their
learning of strategies between sessions. This will not eliminate the symptoms of schizophrenia but
can make it easier to cope, in turn reducing the distress and improving their ability to function
adequately. Tarrier devised a specific type of CBT for schizophrenia, called coping enhancement
strategy (CSE), which involves building upon the existing coping strategies of those people with
schizophrenia. Tarrier noted that individuals were able to identify their triggers for schizophrenic
episodes, such as certain people or being put under stress, and had devised their own personalised
coping strategies (iodographic approach). The aim of CSE is to develop and apply coping strategies
for psychotic symptoms and the accompanying stress they produce. There are two types of coping
strategy that are developed in the therapy: cognitive strategies and behavioural strategies. Cognitive
strategies involve tasks such a distraction, concentrating on a specific tasks and positive self talk, and
behavioural strategies involve relaxation techniques or playing loud music to drown out the voices.
There are two parts to CSE. Firstly, the patient and the therapist develop a rapport, the patient is
seen as a scientist and identify the triggers of psychotic episodes as well as reviewing existing coping
strategies and developing new ones. Secondly, they target specific symptoms and find strategies to
deal with them. The overall aim of CSE to have two effective strategies for each distressing
symptom.
One strength of CBT for schizophrenia is the evidence for its effectiveness. Jauhar et al (2014)
reviewed 34 studies of using CBT with schizophrenia and concluded that there is clear evidence for
small but significant effects on both positive and negative symptoms. Other studies, for example
Pontillo et al (2016) found reductions in frequency and severity of auditory hallucinations. Clinical
advise from NICE (2019), the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, recommends CBT for
schizophrenia. This is a strength of the use of CBT for treating schizophrenia because it means that
both research and clinical experience support the benefits of CBT for schizophrenia.
One limitation of CBT for schizophrenia is the wide range of techniques and symptoms included in
studies. CBT techniques and schizophrenia symptoms vary widely from one case to another. For
example, Thomas (2015) points out that different studies have involved the use of different CBT
techniques and people with different combinations of positive and negative symptoms. The overall
modest benefits of CBT for schizophrenia probably conceal a wide variety of effects of different CBT
techniques on different symptoms. This is a limitation as it makes it hard to say how effective CBT
will be for a particular person with schizophrenia.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller studytogether. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $6.74. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
79064 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now