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Schizophrenia and Family Therapy
Author(s) -
Quadrio Carolyn
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
australian journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1467-8438
pISSN - 0156-8779
DOI - 10.1002/j.1467-8438.1981.tb00052.x
Subject(s) - schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , decompensation , family therapy , psychic , psychiatry , psychology , pathological , psychotherapist , medicine , clinical psychology , alternative medicine , psychoanalysis , pathology
The case presented is of a young man hospitalized twice for schizophrenic disorder before the commencement of family therapy. The therapy which dealt with the family system, specific pathological communication patterns and intra‐psychic conflicts, is discussed. As the parents of the young man confronted their inter‐ and intra‐personal problems, the function of his illness disappeared, along with his psychotic symptoms. While demonstrating the process of psychotherapy, the thesis that psychotic decompensation in young people often signifies severe family dysfunction is also presented. Accepting the ‘identified’ patient as such and ignoring the family dynamics may serve to create a chronic schizophrenic illness.