Treatments

• What is the most common treatment for schizophrenia?

  Drug therapy
• How did antipsychotic drugs change the treatment of schizophrenia?


  They revolutionised the treatment of schizophrenia
• What is an example of a typical antipsychotic?


  Chlorpromazine
• How does Chlorpromazine work?


  It blocks dopamine receptors
• What symptoms does Chlorpromazine reduce?

  Positive symptoms of schizophrenia
• What is a characteristic of typical antipsychotics regarding dosage?


  They require high doses
• What is an example of an atypical antipsychotic?

  Clozapine
• How does Clozapine differ from typical antipsychotics?


  Clozapine works on dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate
• What symptoms can Clozapine treat?


  Both positive and negative symptoms
• How do atypical antipsychotics compare in dosage to typical antipsychotics?


  Atypical antipsychotics can take less doses
• How can the effectiveness of drug therapies be assessed?


  Through placebo studies
• What was the key study conducted by Davis in 1980?

  A meta-analysis of 24 studies involving 3519 people
• What were the relapse rates found in Davis's study for patients on placebo versus those on drugs?


  55% for placebo, 19% for drugs
• What does the evaluation of drug therapy suggest about its effectiveness?


  It is effective but not for everyone
• What did Thornley et al (2003) find regarding chlorpromazine?


  It was associated with better functioning and reduced symptom severity
• What did Meltzer (2017) conclude about Clozapine?


  Clozapine is more effective than typical antipsychotics
• What is a potential alternative treatment to drug therapy?

  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• What did Jauhar et al (2014) find about CBT?


  CBT was found to be more effective than drug therapy
• What are some serious side effects of typical antipsychotics?


  Dizziness, agitation, sleepiness
• What is tardive dyskinesia?


  A side effect of long-term use of typical antipsychotics
• What is neuroleptic malignant syndrome?


  A condition caused by blocking dopamine action in the hypothalamus
• What are the implications of antipsychotic medications on patients?


  They can do harm as well as good
• What is a limitation of the original dopamine hypothesis?


  Dopamine levels in other parts of the brain may be too low
• What ethical issue is raised by the use of antipsychotics?


  They may be used to calm patients for staff convenience
• What did Moncrieff (2013) suggest about antipsychotics?


  They may be overused to benefit staff rather than patients
• What did Healy (2012) criticize about studies on antipsychotics?


  Most studies focus on short-term effects only
• What is the purpose of psychological treatments alongside drug therapy?

  To help people cope better with symptoms
• What is a token economy?


  A behavior modification technique based on operant conditioning
• How does a token economy work?


  Good behaviors are rewarded with tokens that can be exchanged for something desired
• Where is a token economy typically used?


  In institutions
• What did Azrin (1968) find about token economies?


  It improved an average of 40 behaviors in schizophrenia patients
• What did Glowacki's study find about token economies?


  They showed a reduction in negative symptoms and unwanted behaviors
• What is a limitation of Glowacki's study?


  It lacks internal validity and reliability
• What is the file drawer problem in research?


  It leads to bias towards positive published findings
• What ethical issue arises from token economies?

  They give professionals considerable power over patients' behavior
• What did Lobban (2016) conclude about family therapy?


  It is effective because families provide the bulk of care for people with schizophrenia
• What is the aim of family therapy?


  To reduce conflict and high emotion among family members
• What does psychoeducation involve in family therapy?


  Informing relatives about the nature of schizophrenia and how they can help
• What did Pharaoh et al (2003) find about family interventions?


  They significantly reduce rates of relapse
• What did Montero et al (2001) find regarding behavioral family therapy?


  It had significantly better outcomes for social functioning compared to other therapies