Application of functional analytic psychotherapy to manage schizophrenia

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and third-wave CBT approaches have been shown to ameliorate symptoms of schizophrenia. However, this study uses the functional analytic psychotherapy which focuses on the environmental causes of behavior which includes the client's present environment as well as his history of past interactions with it, to bring about a change in the client and reduce the symptoms. This therapy has never been used earlier with patients having schizophrenia in India; therefore, it was taken up for this study.

A pre-post design with control group was used in the present study. Ten patients were taken. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for measuring symptoms of schizophrenia, Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale for assessing quality of life, Coping Response Inventory-Adult form for assessing coping skills, Apathy Evaluation Scale-Clinician Version for assessing apathy, Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale for assessing perceived interpersonal relationship were used for assessment pre- and postintervention. Fifteen sessions were done with each patient within a period of 10 months at the rate of one session per week. Chi-square test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Mann-Whitney U-test were used for the analysis of data.

Significant improvements were found in positive symptoms, general psychopathology, approach coping mechanisms, psychosocial and motivation domains in quality of life, and perceived cohesion in family among the patients postintervention.

Functional analytic psychotherapy is an effective method for treating patients having schizophrenia with the application of its specifically modified rules for use with patients having psychosis.