Psych CASC / OSCE · Professional — psychosocial interventions
Engaging a high-EE family after first-episode psychosis (CASC)
CASC communication station: psychoeducation, EE-aware engagement, non-blaming stance, family intervention offer, confidentiality.
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Study tools
Target exams
FRANZCPMRCPsychABPNMD-DNB
Prompt
Parents of a 19-year-old with first-episode psychosis want answers: mother is tearful and critical of the young person's 'attitude'; father wants 'stronger medication'. They ask if they 'caused' the illness.
Station instructions (candidate)
You have 7 minutes with both parents. Explain psychosis in accessible language, answer the causation question without blame, outline medication plus family intervention, and negotiate next steps. Do not shame critical comments; reframe them as care under stress. Structured family intervention is part of evidence-based psychosis care, not an optional extra.[5]
References3ShowHide
- [1]Butzlaff RL, Hooley JM Expressed emotion and psychiatric relapse: a meta-analysis Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1998.PMID 9633674
- [5]Pharoah F, Mari J, Rathbone J, et al. Family intervention for schizophrenia Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2010.PMID 21154340
- [2]Brown GW, Birley JL, Wing JK Influence of family life on the course of schizophrenic disorders: a replication Br J Psychiatry, 1972.PMID 5073778