Lesson 5.1.3

5.1.3 Treatments for schizophrenia Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Psychology, Unit 5

20 questions

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Lesson 5.1.3, Treatments for schizophrenia: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Psychology (9PS0), Unit 5: Clinical psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the main biological treatment for schizophrenia?

    • Stimulant drugs, which raise dopamine activity throughout the brain and so remove the hallucinations of the patient
    • Anxiolytic drugs, which reduce anxiety by increasing the activity of GABA and so cure the thought disorder completely
    • Antipsychotic drugs, which reduce the activity of dopamine in certain brain pathways and so reduce positive symptoms
    • Antidepressant drugs, which increase serotonin levels in the brain and so remove all the symptoms of schizophrenia

  2. How do typical antipsychotic drugs such as chlorpromazine work?

    • They increase dopamine release in the frontal lobes, which removes the negative symptoms of the disorder for the patient
    • They block serotonin receptors only, which has no effect on dopamine and so cannot change any psychotic symptoms at all
    • They block dopamine D2 receptors, which reduces the effects of excess dopamine on the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
    • They increase the production of thyroid hormone, which raises the metabolic rate and so reduces hallucinations in patients

  3. Which side effect is associated with long-term use of typical antipsychotic drugs?

    • Increased appetite and weight loss, which is the only side effect of antipsychotic drugs and is always mild in patients
    • Complete loss of memory for all past events, which is the main side effect of all antipsychotic drugs taken for any length
    • Tardive dyskinesia, which involves involuntary movements of the face, mouth or body that can persist after treatment stops
    • Improved motor co-ordination in all patients, which is the main benefit of long-term antipsychotic treatment in any group

  4. Why are atypical antipsychotics sometimes preferred to typical ones?

    • They are often associated with fewer movement side effects, although they can have other side effects of their own
    • They are cheaper than all other treatments and have no effect on the brain, so they are used only in community settings
    • They are always more effective for every patient, with no side effects of any kind, so they are the only drugs prescribed
    • They never affect dopamine at all, so they are used only for patients whose symptoms are entirely caused by serotonin

  5. Which psychological treatment for schizophrenia focuses on helping patients to challenge their delusions and hallucinations?

    • Token economy, which rewards patients with tokens for desired behaviour and removes all their delusions through conditioning
    • Psychoanalysis, which explores the patient's childhood memories to uncover the unconscious id conflicts that cause the disorder
    • Systematic desensitisation, which pairs a relaxation response with a hierarchy of feared stimuli to remove the patient's fear
    • Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis, which helps patients examine and test the evidence for their beliefs

  6. What is the aim of family therapy in the treatment of schizophrenia?

    • To remove the family from the patient's life entirely, so that the patient has no contact with anyone who might cause stress
    • To improve communication and reduce high levels of criticism or conflict within the family, which can help prevent relapse
    • To give the family the medication, so that the family can take the drugs in place of the patient under supervision
    • To punish family members who criticise the patient, so that criticism is removed from the home environment permanently

  7. The two treatments for schizophrenia in an exam answer should come from different topic areas. Which pair meets this requirement?

    • An antipsychotic drug (biological) and cognitive behavioural therapy (psychological)
    • Two different antipsychotic drugs, both from the biological treatment area, which share the same mechanism of action
    • A token economy and systematic desensitisation, both from the learning-based area and both reliant on classical conditioning
    • Family therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, both from the psychological treatment area with a single mechanism

  8. Which evaluation point about antipsychotic drugs is most accurate?

    • They cure schizophrenia permanently after a single dose, so patients never need further treatment or follow-up at all
    • They are effective for many patients in reducing positive symptoms, but they can have significant side effects and do not cure the disorder
    • They are completely ineffective for all patients, so they should never be prescribed in any clinical setting in the world
    • They have no side effects, so they can be given safely to every patient without any monitoring or clinical supervision

  9. Which evaluation point about psychological treatments such as CBT for psychosis is most accurate?

    • They can help patients cope with symptoms and may be used alongside medication, although evidence of their effect varies
    • They can cure schizophrenia on their own in every patient, so no drug treatment is ever needed for any patient at all
    • They have no evidence of any effect, since talking therapies cannot change any belief or behaviour in people with psychosis
    • They are only suitable for animals, so they cannot be used with human patients who experience psychosis in clinical care

  10. Why is it important to consider the individual when choosing a treatment for schizophrenia?

    • Patients are always treated in the same way, since schizophrenia has only one form and one cause for all people
    • Patients cannot have preferences about treatment, since the clinician always knows best in every case of schizophrenia
    • Every patient responds identically to every treatment, so the choice of treatment makes no difference to any outcome at all
    • Patients differ in their symptoms, side effects and preferences, so the best treatment may vary between individuals

  11. What is a limitation of antipsychotic drugs in relation to the dopamine hypothesis?

    • All patients respond perfectly to dopamine-blocking drugs, which proves that dopamine is the only cause of every case
    • Some patients do not respond to dopamine-blocking drugs, suggesting that dopamine may not explain all cases of schizophrenia
    • Dopamine-blocking drugs have no effect on the brain at all, so they cannot provide any evidence about the dopamine hypothesis
    • Dopamine-blocking drugs increase dopamine activity in all brain areas, which makes the dopamine hypothesis more accurate

  12. Which of these is a key ethical concern in the drug treatment of schizophrenia?

    • Gender, since antipsychotic drugs can be given only to men, so women are excluded from any drug treatment for schizophrenia
    • Reductionism, since drugs reduce the number of patients who need to be seen by a psychologist in a clinic each year
    • Freud's id, since drugs act on the id, so patients cannot be asked for consent about any drug treatment at all
    • Informed consent, since patients in acute psychosis may not fully understand treatment and side effects

  13. A patient on an antipsychotic develops involuntary movements of the mouth. Which action would be most appropriate?

    • Ignoring the movements, since involuntary movements of the mouth are always harmless and never need medical attention
    • Stopping all treatment at once and never returning to the clinic, since any side effect means the treatment has failed completely
    • Reviewing the medication with the clinician, since side effects of this kind may require a change of drug or dose
    • Doubling the dose of the same drug, since higher doses are known to remove all side effects of antipsychotic medication

  14. Which statement describes the role of a multidisciplinary team in treating schizophrenia?

    • Only a computer program selects the treatment, so no human professional takes part in planning care for patients at any stage
    • Only the family makes decisions about treatment, so no clinician is needed in the process of care for any patient at all
    • Only one person, the patient, makes all decisions about treatment without any involvement from any other professional at all
    • Psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and social workers may work together to plan drug, psychological and social support

  15. Which treatment is used for schizophrenia that focuses on the social environment rather than on drugs or thinking?

    • Aversion therapy for hallucinations, which pairs the voices with an electric shock so the patient stops hearing them
    • Family intervention, which aims to reduce family conflict and expressed emotion that may contribute to relapse
    • Electrical brain stimulation of the id, which aims to remove unconscious conflict through a surgical procedure on the brain
    • Hormone replacement therapy, which aims to raise testosterone levels so that the patient's social confidence increases

  16. Why might a combination of drug and psychological treatment be recommended for schizophrenia?

    • Drugs and psychological therapy are always incompatible, so a combination is never possible in any clinical setting at all
    • Drugs cure the disorder completely, so psychological therapy is unnecessary and should never be added to any treatment plan
    • Drugs can reduce positive symptoms, while psychological therapy can help with coping, relapse prevention and social functioning
    • Drugs and psychological therapy both act only on dopamine, so combining them has no added benefit for any patient at all

  17. A study compares an antipsychotic with a placebo and finds the drug reduces hallucinations. Which conclusion is best supported?

    • The drug causes hallucinations in every patient, since any change in hallucinations must come from the drug's toxic effect
    • The drug cures schizophrenia completely, since reduced hallucinations always means that the disorder has been removed entirely
    • The drug has no effect, since a placebo group that shows any change would prove that drugs never work for any patient at all
    • The drug is associated with reduced hallucinations compared with placebo, though long-term effects and side effects also need consideration

  18. Which concept links treatment choice in schizophrenia to the stress-vulnerability model?

    • Treatment can only work on the superego, so stress and vulnerability have no role in the patient's response to any therapy
    • Treatment can only work on the id, so the stress-vulnerability model is irrelevant to the choice of any treatment at all
    • Treatment can reduce the biological vulnerability and manage stress, which may lower the risk of symptoms returning
    • Treatment can only work by removing the environment, so the biological vulnerability is never considered in treatment choice

  19. What is a key advantage of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis over drug treatment alone?

    • It removes the need for any follow-up or monitoring by a clinician in the future, so patients are discharged at once
    • It has no side effects at all and cannot cause any distress to patients during the course of treatment sessions
    • It targets how patients interpret their experiences, which can help them cope even when some symptoms persist
    • It works only on dopamine, so it is a more precise biological treatment than any drug that is currently available

  20. Which statement about the timing of treatment for schizophrenia is most accurate?

    • Treatment is never needed for a first episode, since symptoms always resolve on their own in every patient eventually
    • Early treatment may improve outcomes, so early identification of symptoms is seen as important by many clinicians
    • Treatment is useful only once the disorder has lasted more than twenty years, so early treatment is generally avoided
    • Treatment must begin before birth, since schizophrenia is fully determined by prenatal events in every case known

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