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FAMILY THERAPY
Psychological Treatments
THE IMPACT OF FAMILY
Hostility and heightened emotion can bring on
symptoms and episodes.
 Therapy focusing on social dynamics has
therefore been suggested to be highly effective.
 Falloon et al devised a form of family therapy in
1985 designed to combat this.

THE PRINCIPLES OF FAMILY THERAPY
Teaching the whole family to be constructive,
undemanding and empathetic.
 Avoiding heightened expectations and
confrontation.
 Avoiding stressful confrontation.

EFFECTIVENESS
Falloon’s research compared patients that were
all on drug treatments across independent groups
design.
 Those in family therapy had markedly less
relapse rates.
 50% retuned to hospital within a year in the
individual therapy group where in the family
therapy group the figure was only 11%.
 NB: If we were to be critical why could we argue
this might have been the case?

BIRCHWOOD AND JACKSON 2001
Found relapse rates at 60% for individual
treatments and 25-33% for those in family
therapy.
 Overall suggesting family therapy is effective.

PSYCHOEDUCATION
Falloon’s approach is now commonly known as
psychoeducation.
 The family in this approach are treated as part of
the solution rather than the problem.
 McFarlene, Dixon et al 2003 reviewed literature
on the approach and suggests it improves family
well being.

OPTIMAL TREATMENT PROJECT
Incorporates drug treatments with family
therapy and is now use din over 20 countries.
 However critics have argued that this combined
approach is generally only used in clinics where
the therapists are highly motivated and believe
in the treatment.
 It is also still the case that patients require drug
therapy and will still never reach the same social
normality of healthy individuals.

APPROPRIATE?
65% of patients coming out of hospital return to
their families so it is clearly an important type of
therapy.
 It is clear that excessive emotion induces
episodes therefore to tackle emotion directly is
clearly appropriate.
 Schizophrenia causes problems with
communication and disorganised speech.
Patients often feel isolated because of this so
helping them with social interaction is a positive
move.

BUT
It ignores biological factors
 It must be used in conjunction with other
therapies.
 Lots of those with schizophrenia do not have a
family and are unmarried
 It will never allow a patient to match the
functioning of a healthy individual

EXAM PREPARATION
A01
A02
• What is the
treatment?
• How does it work?
• What does it do.
•
•
•
•
•
Supporting arguments
through research
Challenging findings
and commenting on
research through
critique of methodology
or flawed assumptions
i.e. validity / reliability
and crediblity.
Suggesting useful
applications for reaerch
Suggesting alternative
viewpoints
Consider issues of
culture and gender
A03
• Ethics of research
• Critique of the
methods in regard
to quantative and
qualiative
research and the
strengths and
weaknesses of
what that research
can show us.
POTENTIAL QUESTIONS
Outline and evaluate either psychological or
biological treatments of schizophrenia.
(24 marks)
 OR
 Outline and evaluate one biological therapy (12)
 Outline and evaluate one psychological therapy
(12)
