The consequences of psychotherapy for schizophrenic patients.

Abstract

Describes a study in which 2 forms of psychoanalytic psychotherapy, one not using medication and one using medication adjunctively, were contrasted with treatment by medication only. Ss were 36 16-49 yr. old schizophrenics who were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups. Treatment was available to Ss for 20 mo. and an average of approximately 70 sessions. Ss were examined before treatment, and after 6, 12, and 20 mo. of treatment with the Rorschach, TAT, a clinical status interview, and a battery of intellectual tests, e.g., the Thorndike-Gallup Vocabulary Test, Porteus Mazes, WAIS, and the Feldman-Drasgow Visual-Verbal Test. Measures of psychotherapy effectiveness were divided into 4 groups: length of hospitalization, clinical evaluation of functioning, direct measures of the thought disorder, and projective tests. Findings, including a 2-yr follow-up, reveal that psychotherapy produces significantly greater S change than medication, and is particularly effective in changing the thought disorder. Immediate change in the thought disorder was found to be more closely related to the long run ability to function outside of a hospital than are short term behavioral criteria usually related to hospital discharge. (25 ref.)

An "Incurable" Schizophrenic: The Case of Mr. X

“…(The psychotherapeutic ward did not transfer any patients, but treated them all.) Empirical data to support the effectiveness of the specific psychoanalytic guiding conception presented above and employed in the case can be found in the Michigan State Psychotherapy Project (Karon & Vandenbos, 1972;. This project consisted of a randomized, controlled study of 36 schizophrenics, 16 to 49 years old, who were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: psychoanalytic therapy alone, psychoanalytic therapy with medication, and medication alone.…”

Psychodynamic treatment of schizophrenia: is there a future?

“…This study did not have any major methodological weaknesses from an experimental design perspective, but it has been criticized for its use of inexperienced psychotherapists (Karon & VandenBos, 1970;but cf. Tuma & May, 1974 Karon & VandenBos (1972 Yes 1 I Patients were randomly assigned to PD, PD-D, and D groups, but were not randomly assigned to experienced or inexperienced therapists. * Patients in the D group were those who elected to remain at the state hospital and were compared with the PD and PD-D groups, which were composed of those patients who consented to be transferred to a clinical research centre for treatment.…”

“…'s conclusion that the two treatments were essentially equivalent. Karon & VandenBos (1972 reported that psychodynamic treatment was superior to antipsychotic drug treatment. Serious methodological shortcomings limit generalizability from this study.…”

Psychotherapy Can Be Helpful for Schizophrenics

“…I think so. This response is ever made about the research findings from the Michigan State Psychotherapy with Schizophrenics Project (Karon & VandenBos, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1978, 1981. In this research project, an independent clinical assessment team conducted clinical interviews and psychological testing of potential patients for the research project.…”