Token Economies as used in the Management of Schizophrenia

• Token economies as used in the management of schizophrenia

  Token economies are reward systems used to manage the behaviour of patients with schizophrenia. Token economies therefore do not address the cause of schizophrenia. Rather, they are used as a way of managing schizophrenia in institutions (e.g. hospitals) by promoting acceptable behaviours.
• Describe how token economies are used for schizophrenia patients in hospitals

  Hospital staff give tokens to schizophrenic patients for desirable behaviors, like dressing or making their bed, based on individual needs. Tokens, though initially valueless, can be exchanged for rewards such as sweets, cigarettes, or magazines. This token economy uses operant conditioning, with tokens acting as secondary reinforcers that patients associate with rewards.
• Evaluate token economies as used in the management of schizophrenia

  • they are moderately easy to implement
  • it can be inconsistent due to understaffing
  • it may have little rehabilitative value as it doesn't lead to permanent behavioural change
  • it can be considered ethically questionable due to avolition