Abstract
During the past 35 years the senior author has treated individuals with schizophrenia. Three case studies are presented here which demonstrate the relevance and application of Birtchnell’s (How humans relate: A new interpersonal theory, Hove, UK: Psychology Press, 1993/1996) Relating Theory in understanding schizophrenic symptoms as a reaction to extremely stressful negative interrelating within the family. It was fascinating to observe that working through the stressful family interrelations led to the disappearance of schizophrenic symptoms, without ever making the symptoms themselves the focus of the psychotherapy. Since schizophrenia is a brain disorder, it is of heuristic value to demonstrate that psychotherapy, i.e. talking therapy, has such a profound effect on brain function and structure.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Bateson, G., Jackson, D. D., Haley, J., & Weakland, J. (1956). Toward a theory of schizophrenia. Behavioral Science, 1, 251–264.
Berglund, N., Vahlne, J. O., & Edman, Å. (2003). Family intervention in schizophrenia – Impact on family burden and attitude. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 38(3), 116–121.
Birtchnell, J. (1993/1996). How humans relate: A new interpersonal theory. Hove, UK: Psychology Press.
Birtchnell, J. (1994). The interpersonal octagon: An alternative to the interpersonal circle. Human Relations, 47, 511–529.
Birtchnell, J., Hammond, S., Horn, E., De Jong, C., & Kalaitzaki, A. (2013). A cross-national comparison of a shorter version of the Person’s Relating to Others Questionnaire. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 20(1), 36–48.
Brown, G. W., Birley, J. L. T., & Wing, J. K. (1972). Influence of family life on the course of schizophrenic disorders: A replication. British Journal of Psychiatry, 121, 241–258.
Cechnicki, A., Bielańska, A., Hanuszkiewicz, I., & Daren, A. (2013). The predictive validity of expressed emotions (EE) in schizophrenia. A 20-year prospective study. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 47(2), 208–214.
Collerton, D. (2013). Psychotherapy and brain plasticity. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 2–6.
Dyck, D. G., Short, R. A., Hendryx, M. S., Norell, D., Myers, M., Patterson, T., et al. (2000). Management of negative symptoms among patients with schizophrenia attending multiple-family groups. Psychiatric Services, 51(4), 513–519.
Fromm-Reichmann, F. (1948). Notes on the development of treatments of schizophrenics by psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Psychiatry, 11, 263–273.
Gopinath, P. S., & Chaturvedi, S. K. (1992). Distressing behavior of schizophrenics at home. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 86(3), 183–188.
Kalaitzaki, A. E. (2005). Schizophrenia and family relationships. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK.
Kalaitzaki, A. E., Birtchnell, J., & Nestoros, J. (2010). Does family interrelating change over the course of individual treatment? Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 17, 463–481.
Kalaitzaki, A. E., & Nestoros, J. N. (2006). Ameliorating interrelating within families of psychotic persons: An integrative approach. In E. O’Leary & M. Murphy (Eds.), New approaches to integration in psychotherapy (pp. 141–154). London: Brunner-Routledge.
Kavanagh, D. J. (1992). Recent developments in expressed emotion and schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 601–620.
Koutra, K., Vgontzas, A. N., Lionis, C., & Triliva, S. (2014). Family functioning in first-episode psychosis: A systematic review of the literature. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 49(7), 1023–1036.
Leff, J., Wig, N. N., Ghosh, A., Bedi, H., Menon, D. K., Kuipers, L., et al. (1987). Expressed emotion and schizophrenia in north India. III. Influence of relatives’ expressed emotion on the course of schizophrenia in Chandigarh. British Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 166–173.
Nair, N. P. V., Bloom, D. M., & Nestoros, J. N. (1982). Cholecystokinin appears to have antipsychotic properties. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 6, 509–512.
Nestoros, J. N. (1993/2012). Ston Kosmo tis Psychosis [In the Cosmos of Psychosis]. Athens: Pedio Publications [in Greek].
Nestoros, J. N. (1984). GABAergic mechanisms and anxiety: An overview and a new neurophysiological model. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 29, 520–529.
Nestoros, J. N. (1997). Integrative psychotherapy of individuals with schizophrenic symptoms. In P. J. Hawkins & J. N. Nestoros (Eds.), Psychotherapy: New perspectives on theory, practice and research (pp. 633–681). Athens: EllinikaGrammata.
Nestoros, J. N. (2001). Synthetiki Psychotherapy: An integrative psychotherapy for individuals with schizophrenic symptoms. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 31(1), 51–59.
Nestoros, J. N. (2006). Recent developments in an integrative approach of the psychotherapy of individuals suffering from schizophrenic symptoms. In E. O’Leary & M. Murphy (Eds.), New approaches to integrative psychotherapy (pp. 136–162). London: Brunner-Routledge.
Nestoros, J. N. (2012). In the World of Psychosis (“Ston Kosmo tis Psychosis”). Athens, Greece: Pedio Publications.
Nestoros, J. N., Suranyi-Cadotte, B. E., Spees, R. C., Schwartz, G., & Nair, N. P. V. (1982). Diazepam in high doses is effective in schizophrenia. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 6, 513–516.
Onitsuka, T., Oribe, N., Nakamura, I., & Kanba, S. (2013). Review of neurophysiological findings in patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 67(7), 461–470.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2016 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Nestoros, J., Seliniotaki, T., Vergoti, A., Benioudakis, E. (2016). Interrelating Within the Families of Schizophrenics Before Their First Psychotic Episode. In: Birtchnell, J., Newberry, M., Kalaitzaki, A. (eds) Relating Theory – Clinical and Forensic Applications. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50459-3_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50459-3_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-50458-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-50459-3
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)