Treatments for schizophrenia

PSYA4 June 2012 had a question which asked ‘Outline one biological therapy and one psychological therapy for schizophrenia.’

The mark scheme included the following: ‘Therapies such as psychoanalysis and psychosurgery have been used for schizophrenia in the past but are no longer generally considered suitable. A general outline of these techniques which are not made explicitly relevant to schizophrenia cannot achieve higher than rudimentary.’

In our A2 textbook we have included psychoanalysis as a therapy that can be used for schizophrenia. One reader asked us about this. Our reply was:

1. The mark scheme does not say that answers related to psychoanalysis would receive a poor mark. It says that answers that do not relate psychoanalysis to schizophrenia would attract a poor mark.

2. NICE guidelines updated 2010 discuss the use of psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapies for schizophrenia.  See page 310 of the document.

3. We reported recent research that suggests that the value of psychoanalysis/psychodynamic therapies has been undervalued (see here).

4. The real problem is that therapies in the real world rarely follow just one perspective. Specifications force us to discuss them in this way.

So we feel justified in including it in our book – but would welcome comments from readers or indeed, from AQA.

One thought on “Treatments for schizophrenia

  1. Patricia says:

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