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

Abstract

Psychotherapy has a long tradition in the treatment of schizophrenic psychosis. Individual therapies--based on psychoanalysis in continental Europe and in the first half of this century due to emigrants in England and the United States--were predominant. The development of family therapy then led to modified forms and in particular group therapy for relatives of schizophrenic patients. There is a variety of treatments available today: assistance in coping with the disease, cognitive therapies and social skill training, psychotherapy based on depth psychology, family therapy and work with the relatives of patients. Some encouraging studies on efficacy are already available. Drug treatment continues to be the dominant form of therapy, but modified psychotherapeutic programs for patients and their relatives have become an important supplement to neuroleptic therapy and relapse prevention, particularly since the "Vulnerability-Stress-Hypotheses" became widely accepted.