Family therapy

the idea that if family dysfunction causes the sz the best way to treat this is through changing the family communication (specific focus upon EE)

what is family therapy based on?

• Improve positive and decrease negative forms of communication

• Increase tolerance levels and decrease criticism levels between family members

• Decrease feelings of guilt and responsibility for causing the illness among family members

what are the main goals of family therapy?

1. There is an overall emphasis on ‘openness’, with no details remaining confidential, though boundaries of what is and is not acceptable are drawn up in advance, as part of the informed consent document. 

2. Family therapy is given a set amount of time to reduce symptoms, usually between 9 months and 1 year. 

3. The aim is to provide family members with the communication skills to continue the work started after the ending of the therapy.

Consent forms

1. What is there an emphasis on, and how is this achieved?

2. What is the time frame given to reduce symptoms?

3. What is the aim of this therapy?

1. The psychologist compared family therapy with routine outpatient care for schizophrenics with families high in expressed emotion.

2. 50% of those receiving routine therapy relapsed compared to 8% receiving family therapy.

3. 75% of those with routine therapy relapsed with 50% of those receiving family therapy relapsed.

4. Therefore, this suggests that family therapy is more effective in comparison to routine therapy in preventing relapse.

Research into family therapy

1. What was the procedure?

2. What happened in the first 9 months?

3. What happened after 2 years?

4. What do these findings suggest?