AO3 - Drug Therapy

• A strength of antipsychotics as a treatment for sz is that there is evidence to support their effectiveness. There is research to support the effectiveness of typical and atypical antipsychotics. Thornley et al found that a meta-analysis of 13 studies investigating Chlorpromazine against a placebo, shows typical antipsychotics were associated with better overall functioning and reduced symptom severity. Furthermore, Meltzer concluded that Clozapine was more effective than typical antipsychotics. Therefore, supporting that antipsychotics are an effective treatment for symptoms of sz.
• A strength of drug therapy, is that antipsychotics require little motivation from the patient. This is because the patient only has to take a tablet in order to reduce the symptoms of sz, unlike CBT which requires motivation from patients as they have to attend sessions and engage in them in order to identify/challenge irrational thoughts, like delusions. This may be difficult for a person with sz as they may not have an accurate perception of reality. Therefore, drug therapy may be more appropriate than CBT in treating schizophrenia as it is a more accessible treatment across the symptoms.
• A weakness of using drug therapy is that they can cause negative side effects. Typical antipsychotics can produce movement side effects such as parkinsonism, moreover atypical antipsychotics carry the risk of a life-threatening illness, agranulocytosis. Unlike CBT, as this involves a person identifying/challenging their irrational thoughts (delusions), without the use of drugs so there are no negative side effects. Therefore, drug therapy may not be appropriate as the side effects reduce the effectiveness of drug therapy as a treatment, as some people may stop taking them resulting in relapse.