ABSTRACT
Family-based interventions have played a m ajor part in the search for effective management of schizophrenia. Early efforts focused on obser vations that the patterns of family interaction with the person suffering from a schizophrenic disorder appeared distorted and confusing. As a consequence, family therapists sought to unravel these “abnorm al” com munication patterns and thereby reduce the cognitive distortions under lying the index patient’s disturbed thought processes. Once the index pa tient could express him-or herself freely without resorting to the cognitive distortions inherent in delusions, hallucinations, and thought interference, it was assumed that these symbolic expressions would melt away. Schiz ophrenia was considered to be a coping response that the index patient learned to exhibit to deal with a “crazy-making” family environment.
