Psychological treatments of schizophrenia: Family Therapy

• What is Family therapy

  Family therapy is a type of talking therapy that is carried out with a schizophrenic patient and their family.
• What strategies does family therapy involve and what are their purposes?

  • communication
  • therapeutic alliances
  • establishing caring alliances
• describe the strategy of communication from family therapy

  A family therapist will encourage and guide the schizophrenic patient and their family to communicate with one another regarding their emotions, needs etc.
• describe the strategy of therapeutic alliances from family therapy

  A family therapist will then help the schizophrenic patient and their family members to form therapeutic alliances. This will involve supporting the schizophrenic patient and their family to gain a clear understanding of how they will support/be supported.
• describe the strategy of establishing caring alliances from family therapy


  a family therapist will help families strike a balance between caring for their schizophrenic relative as well as maintaining their own lives.
• What is the purpose of communication in family therapy

  This will help to improve the quality of communication within the family and, in turn, reduce the risk of double-bind communication and high levels of expressed emotion.
• What is the purpose of therapeutic alliances in family therapy

  The formation of therapeutic alliances aims to reduce stress within families and, in turn, reduce the risk of the schizophrenic patient relapsing. It will also improve the schizophrenic patient’s beliefs and behaviour towards their relatives and the family’s beliefs and behaviour towards the schizophrenic

  patient and their disorder.
• what is the purpose of establishing caring responsibilities in family therapy

  This helps to reduce relatives’ feelings of anger as it ensures their caring responsibilities are not consuming their lives. In turn, this can help to reduce criticism and hostility within the family. It can also help to reduce relatives’ feelings of guilt if they believe they have not been adequately caring for their

  schizophrenia relative.
• Evaluating family therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia

  • there is evidence to support its effectiveness
  • it can be useful for patients who lack logical insight into their disorder (e.g. due to symptoms such as delusions) or are unable to speak coherently about it (e.g. due to disorganised/poverty of speech)
  • a treatment for schizophrenia is that it is a more cost-effective form of treatment
  • it may not be appropriate for all patients