Evaluation of psychoanalysis

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  • Created by: z_mills1
  • Created on: 18-05-14 13:45
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  • Evaluation of Psychoanalysis
    • Limitations
      • no better than placebo
        • a therapy is only as good as the underlying theory
        • Eysenck pointed out the success of behavioural therapies - puts further doubts on the validity of psychoanalysis as a useful treatment
      • expense
        • psychoanalysis tends to be time-consuming and expensive taking place over a no. years
        • requires high levels of motivation and commitment from patient
      • ethical issues
        • Masson has criticised the therapeutic relationship in psychoanalysis as one where all the power lies with the analyst
          • in any therapeutic situation there is a risk that the analyst might abuse their power
      • psychoanalysis is considered more appropriate for treating neurotic disorders such as anxiety
        • it is less suitable for patients with psychotic disorders e.g. schizophrenia
    • Strengths
      • Effectiveness
        • an analysis of 10,000 patient histories estimated that 80% benefitted from psychoanalysis compared to 60% who received therapies based on different approaches (Bergin)

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