V. Group and Family Therapies
Family therapy
Marital therapy
Support groups
Self-help groups
Effectiveness of Psychotherapy
75% of clients feel satisfied with the outcome of their
therapy
Statistical research (using meta-
analysis) suggest that approximately 2/3 of patients
significantly improve with therapy.
Other studies show that the average treated person is better
off than 80% of untreated individuals.
Biomedical Therapies
Drug Therapies:
Antipsychotic drugs: used to treat schizophrenic and
other psychotic disorders. These drugs block dopamine receptors
in the brain (e.g., thorazine, stelazine, clozaril). Side
effects: heavy sedation, tardive dyskinesia.
Anti-anxiety drugs: (e.g., Valium, Librium, Xanax)
Effectively reduce anxiety and fears but are highly addictive.
Antidepressant drugs: (e.g., Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil)
These drugs block re-uptake of serotonin. This increases the
availability of serotonin in the brain. Other antidepressants
block reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. They, however,
cause more side effects (dry mouth, dizzy spells).
Lithium: Drug specifically used to treat the mood swings
seen in bipolar disorder.
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): Used to treat SEVERE
depression. An electrical current is passed through the brain
of an anesthetized patient. Side effects: memory loss
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Biomedical Therapies (cont.)
Psychosurgery: Removal or destruction of brain tissue
in order to change behavior.
Lobotomy: Rare procedure once used to calm violent
or uncontrollable patients. Tissue in the prefrontal lobes are
destroyed.
MISC.
Institutionalization:
Pros: Patients can be monitored carefully and closely. Patients
are less likely to be a danger to themselves and others.
Cons: the "self-fulfilling prophecy" may come into play. People
continue to act and feel "sick" because they believe they are
sick. Staff members can interpret "normal" behavior as
"abnormal" (Rosenhan"s study). Also, the staff members (at many
institutions) are overworked and underpaid.
Deinstitutionalization: The release of patients from
hospitals (often in large numbers) due to political pressures.
Pros: Patients are given a chance to live a "normal" life away
from unwanted confinement.
Cons: Due to lack of federal and state funding, many patients
are unsupervised. They may stop taking their medication, have
no social support, and may become a danger to themselves or
others. |