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[Empirical study of a physically oriented therapy with schizophrenic patients]
K Andres1, L Bellwald, H D Brenner
1Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Bern, Abteilung für Theoretische und Evaluative Psychiatrie, Ostermundigen.
Zeitschrift Fur Klinische Psychologie, Psychopathologie Und Psychotherapie
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Body therapy, including massage, helped chronic schizophrenic patients increase awareness of their bodily limits. This approach, focusing on physical embodiment of psychic issues, showed promising results in a small study.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
- Somatic Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Context:
- Schizophrenia is often viewed as a disorder of delimitation, where psychic issues manifest physically.
- Existing therapeutic approaches may not fully address the embodied nature of schizophrenic symptoms.
- The need for novel interventions targeting the mind-body connection in schizophrenia.
Purpose:
- To investigate the efficacy of a body-oriented therapy in enhancing bodily limit awareness in chronic schizophrenic patients.
- To explore the potential of physical interventions to address the embodied aspects of schizophrenia.
- To assess the psychophysiological and self-reported effects of body therapy in this population.
Summary:
- Ten individuals with chronic schizophrenia received body therapy, including massage to the feet, back, and neck.
- The therapy aimed to improve patients' perception and experience of their own bodily boundaries.
- Physiological measures (skin conductance, heart rate) and self-perceptions indicated a relaxing effect, with no increased anxiety reported despite close physical contact.
Impact:
- Body-oriented therapy shows potential as a complementary treatment for schizophrenia.
- Enhancing bodily limit awareness may offer a novel pathway for therapeutic intervention in schizophrenia.
- The study suggests that addressing physical embodiment can be beneficial for individuals with chronic schizophrenia.