Family based interventions in psychosis - An overview of, and comparison between, family therapy and family management approaches

Abstract

This paper aims to be of assistance to those who wish to work with families which include a person exhibiting psychotic symptoms. The literature is dauntingly large, often highly complex and is divided into two opposing camps which are often critical of one another. The paper summarises the distinctive contributions made within the field and notes the historical context for the split between the 'family therapy' and 'family management' approaches. The two approaches are compared in terms of their understanding of the issues of causation, lineality and circularity, acceptance of the concept of schizophrenia, and their emphasis on research or theory. It is suggested that future theoretical innovation is unlikely to be based on the unitary conceptualisation of the expressed emotion measure but is more likely to draw on systemic theories.