Psychological therapy for schizophrenia

• 2 types of therapy for schizophrenia

  Cognitive behaviour therapy and family therapy
• Cognitive behaviour therapy

  Method for treating mental disorders based on both cognitive and behavioural techniques, including dealing with thinking, such as challenging negative thoughts

  Aims to deal with thoughts (cognitions) and behaviour
• How long does CBT last?

  5-20 sessions, either in groups or individually
• How does CBT work?

  Helps a client understand how their irrational cognitions (hallucinations and delusions) impact their feelings and behaviour

  Understanding where symptoms come from can be helpful for those with symptoms like auditory hallucinations
• How can CBT help people with auditory hallucinations?

  If a therapist can convince them the voice they're hearing is actually comes from the malfunctioning speech centre in their own brain and that it can't hurt them, it can seem as less frightening and less debilitating - reduces stress and improves ability to function properly

  They can also be helped by teaching them that voice-hearing is an extension of the ordinary experience of thinking words - normalization
• How can delusions be challenged in CBT?

  Through reality testing - patient and therapist jointly examine the likelihood that their beliefs are true

  In cases resistant to reality testing, CBT can help tackle anxiety and depression resulting from schizophrenia
• Family therapy

  Psychological therapy carried out with all or some members of a family with the aim of improving the communication within the family and reducing the stress of living as a family
• Who is the identified patient in family therapy?

  One member of a dysfunctional family who expresses the family's conflicts
• How does family therapy work?

  Reduces negative emotions as it aims to reduce levels of expressed emotion that lead to negative emotions like anger and guilt, which create stress

  Improves the family's ability to help - encourages family members to form a therapeutic alliance where they all agree on the aims of therapy

  The therapist can try to improve families' beliefs about behaviour towards schizophrenia

  Ensures that family members achieve a balance between caring for the individual and maintaining their own lives
• Model of working with families

  Phase 1 - sharing basic information and providing emotional and practical support

  Phase 2 - identifying basic resources, including what different family members can and can't offer

  Phase 3 - encourages mutual understanding, creating a safe space for all family members to express their feelings

  Phase 4 - identifying helpful patterns of interaction

  Phase 5 - skills training, such as stress management

  Phase 6 - relapse prevention planning

  Phase 7 - maintenance for the future