Biobehavioral Program Outcome with Schizophrenia

Running head: Biobehavioral with Schizophrenia

Biobehavioral Program Outcome with Schizophrenia

Chelsea Nieto
Park University

Biobehavioral Program Outcome with Schizophrenia

Abstract
In the late 1980s the bio behavioral program was developed and it was to use in
helping treat clients with Schizophrenia disorder to live a much normal life then most
who dont combined treatment or just dont have any significant in continuing treatment.
This paper will show the difference in models and how they play a role in helping to treat
and how the bio behavioral program helps clients better then most models. It will also
explain the criteria for Schizophrenia and how to diagnose using the manual as well as
how good antipsychotic drugs are used in helping their symptoms that accompany
schizophrenia. Explanations on how each new age drugs are better for most who are
suffering with this disorder. Case studies and other explanations will help support the
theory behind using bio behavioral approach in treating this complex disorder.

Biobehavioral Program Outcome with Schizophrenia

In approximately 1 of every 100 people In the world suffers from schizophrenia

during his or her lifetime. 2.5 million people alone in the united states are afflicted with
this disorder. Many things accrue in a persons mind when dealing with schizophrenia,
different models and approaches are being used today to treat this disorder. Biobehavioral
is one study that hasnt been looked at more then others but seem to have a good
approach to dealing with and living with schizophrenia and helping clients come to a
understanding of where they are in live and how to get them back on the right path.
Biobehavioral using much different therapys to help regulate their symptoms and help
them live somewhat normal lives in sociality. Having this type of treatment helps in ways
that others may not have chances to look at.

Schizophrenia is defined as a psychotic disorder in which personal, social, and

occupational functioning deteriorate as a result of strange perceptions, usual emotions,
and motor abnormalities. Which means that they lose the sense of reality and cannot
really function with family, friends, and work. They experience many type of symptoms
but some that are known to clients with schizophrenia are hallucinations, which is where
someone experience something that isnt really there. Then theirs clients delusions where
they have false belief held even there is strong evidence against it. Another thing known
with people with schizophrenia are they like to be in there own little world and seem to
retreat into when they feel like it.

Biobehavioral Program Outcome with Schizophrenia

To go in depth a little more with different symptoms there are three different
categories that explain different types of sub symptoms that someone could expires. First
there are positive symptoms, which are pathological excesses In this category
Hallucinations, delusions, and inappropriate affects fall under here. Disorganized
thinking and speech is another sign of positive symptoms this is where they not able to
speak in peculiar ways and not able to talk in logical. They may also have conversations
where they start with on topic and lead to another thinking that they are making sense.
Some use words that only make sense to them when speaking to others also they rhyme
when speaking as well that is called clang. Inappropriate affects are considers to be when
a client is being told some tragic news but would be smiling, this is something that people
with schizophrenia experience because they cannot comprehend what is really going on.

Pathological deficits also known as negative symptoms where a client may

experience social withdraw where they seem to entertain their own world and there own
ideas and fantasies. They also experience less anger, sadness, joy, and some dont even
show any emotion at all leaving the flat, which is called the flat affect.

Psychomotor symptoms this is where clients are catatonia where it can be

catatonic stupor, rigidity, or posturing. Catatonic rigidity where they stand in a position
for longer time frame then any one holds. Then theres posturing where they may pose in
weird positions for example they would hold their arm in a ninety degree position. Then
you have catatonic excitement where clients are excited and are going around waving
their arms in the air.

Biobehavioral Program Outcome with Schizophrenia

When diagnosing schizophrenia its needed to look at the DSM-5 criteria when
needing to see if a client fits all the necessary criteria. A client is needed to have at least
two of the following symptoms during on month period time. Delusions, hallucinations,
disorganized speech, grossly abnormal psychomotor behavior, including catatonic, and
negative symptoms. They also need to be functioning in school, work, interpersonal
relations, or self-care is markedly below the level of achieved prior to the onset of
symptoms. Finally they are continuous disturbance for at least six months and should at
least, of which all symptoms are at full and active.

There are many ways to go about treating schizophrenia through different models
as well as combining models to find a treatment plan that works well with those being
treated. In the past people with schizophrenia where placed into public institution because
they failed to respond to typical treatment. In coming time treatment and institution are
getting better with time when treating those clients instead of putting them in a institution
a left there for as long as they live.

Schizophrenia is also treated with antipsychotic drug therapy, it was discovered in

the 1950s this treatment helps eliminate most of the symptoms. Sixty-five percent of
clients who come across with symptoms seem to get reduced; cases seem to improve
better then with any single treatment. With any drugs there comes with unwanted side
effects, some are Parkinsonian symptoms, neuroleptic malignant, tardive dyskinesia.

Biobehavioral Program Outcome with Schizophrenia

When side effects show in treatment some are given other medication to treat the
symptoms and some are taken off the antipsychotic drug that is causing those effects.

In combination with antipsychotic drugs, psychotherapy is needed in combination

to treat clients with schizophrenia. Having a good combination treatment planned and
talked about with family and client it may be the best way to have the best outcome.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy and biobehavioral therapy are mostly used because they
both show great results. One of the most common thing that are both invested in is having
the family and the client involved all the way through there therapy to show that the are
open to there feelings and emotion.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy educates clients with their disorder, they also help
teach them their hallucinations and their delusions, which help them, monitor there own
symptoms and their coming and goings. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps clients gain
control of there hallucinations and delusions but they dont cure there symptoms only
helps them live with them and have a life capable of living. One thing is that this therapy
tends to want to accept their hallucinations instead of dismissing them.

Biobehavioral therapy was developed in the 1980s this treatment is that is used to
better suit the clinets and family members. They use five behavior models, these models
being used to teaching them skills that they are lacking in due to there symptoms,
management of symptoms and medications, self-care and grooming skills, and job
findings. Through this whole treatment the client is involved from beginning and end

Biobehavioral Program Outcome with Schizophrenia

including family members. Clients with Schizophrenia tend to not want to take their
medications and so this treatment helps give clients confidence that they are being heard
and understood through out their treatment.

The biobehavioral therapy is one of the best and most invasive kind of treatment,
they help even the in and out patient that tend to get of there medications due to lack of
supervision or side effects. Giving a client a sense of control of their disorder and a life of
there own benefits them more in many case. In the biobehavioral they set up available
community services, teaching them techniques to help them stabilize. Another treatment
is family therapy, which helps the clients family member that having a hard time
understanding there diagnosis and helping them cope and live with this disorder as well.
Having the families through the whole treatment and getting them to comply with some
of their problems and help them adjust to their needs in the house.
In conclusion Schizophrenia is a complex and very demanding disorder that very
expensive and time consuming, but with the right treatment plan and cooperation with
everyone with involved in the clients life. In dealing with this disorder the biobehavioral
treatment and antipsychotic combination is the best treatment plan out there in todays
time frame that helps clients live normal lives. This combination helps the complex case
that are in and out of hospitals due to improper drug use. The two combination of
treatment gets the clients involved and that is something that many treatments seem to
forget about and how they lose their clients.

Biobehavioral Program Outcome with Schizophrenia

References
Book:
Comer, R. J. (2014). Abnormal Psychology (8th ed.). New York, NY:

Ethan E. Gorenstein and Ronald j. Comer (2015) Case Studies in Abnormal Psychology
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Agnes B. Hatfield, Harriet P. Lefley, John S. Strauss, Publisher: Guilford Press; (May 21,
1993) Surviving Mental Illness: Stress, Coping, and Adaptation

Mona Wasow, Publisher: Science & Behavior Books; (July 1995) The Skipping Stone:
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American Psychiatric Association, APA, Publisher: Amer Psychiatric Pr; 1st edition
(January 15, 1997) Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with Schizophrenia

Websites:
Robert Paul Liberman, Received 16 June 1993, Accepted 31 August 1993, Available
online 14 June 2006 Biobehavioral treatment and rehabilitation of schizophrenia
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005789405801479

Taking the Perspective of the Other Contributes to Awareness of Illness in Schizophrenia

Biobehavioral Program Outcome with Schizophrenia

Robyn Langdon and Philip Warn May 20, 2008.
http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/5/1003.short

All About Schizophrenia, By Michael Bengston, M.D. January 30, 2013

http://psychcentral.com/lib/all-about-schizophrenia/