[Psychotherapy in schizophrenic psychoses--historical development, effectiveness and currently accepted methods]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology

Context:

• Psychotherapy has a long history in treating schizophrenic psychosis, evolving from individual psychoanalytic approaches to include family and group therapies.
• The development of family therapy has led to modified forms and group therapy for relatives of patients with schizophrenic psychosis.

Purpose:

• To review the variety of psychotherapeutic treatments available for schizophrenic psychosis.
• To highlight the role of psychotherapy as a supplement to neuroleptic therapy and for relapse prevention in schizophrenia.

Summary:

• Current psychotherapeutic treatments for schizophrenic psychosis encompass coping assistance, cognitive therapies, social skill training, depth psychology-based psychotherapy, and family therapy.
• Modified psychotherapeutic programs for patients and their relatives are increasingly recognized as important adjuncts to pharmacotherapy.
• The Vulnerability-Stress-Hypotheses provide a framework for understanding the integration of psychotherapy with biological treatments.

Impact:

• Psychotherapeutic interventions offer a valuable supplement to pharmacotherapy in managing schizophrenic psychosis.
• These therapies contribute to improved relapse prevention and patient/relative coping strategies.
• Encouraging studies on the efficacy of various psychotherapeutic approaches are becoming available.