Family therapy

• Family therapy is with families rather than individual patients, aiming to improve communication and interaction in the family
• Family therapists try to reduce stress within the family that may contribute to patient's risk of relapse (reduce levels of EE- expressed emotion)
• Pharaoh et al. identified a range of strategies family therapists use to reduce the likelihood of relapse and readmission to hospital:

  • Reduce stress of caring for a relative with schizophrenia
  • Improve ability of family to anticipate and solve problems
  • Reduce guilt and anger in family members
  • Improve beliefs about and behaviour toward schizophrenia