It has been proved that a person’s behavior can be modified through the use of pharmacotherapeutics and behavioral interventions. Some several evidence-based standards and guidelines prove the effectiveness of these interventions when applied on patients with psychosocial diseases or disorders (Rohde, Clarke, Mace, Jorgenson, & Seeley, 2009, p. 661).
An example of such interventions is the pharmacotherapy that is effective in dealing with alcohol dependence. The psychotherapy for alcohol dependence refers to verbal interactions between a patient and a therapist. The interaction is intended to change the patient’s behavior, maladaptive beliefs and emotions (Butler, Chapman, Forman, & Beck, 2006, p. 28).
The treatment of alcohol dependence is normally done in two steps with each step yielding impressive results. These two steps include withdrawal and detoxification; the two steps are then followed by further interventions to achieve abstinence. The two therapeutic interventions have resulted in a sharp reduction in cases of alcohol dependence for the last three years. The number of families willing to take part in the therapy has also increased. This is evidence that the interventions are effective in treating alcohol dependence (Butler, Chapman, Forman, & Beck, 2006, p. 23).
Apart from the alcohol dependence, chronic back pain and chronic fatigue syndrome are other psychosocial disorders that are treated by the behavioral interventions. Meta-analyses, systematic reviews and randomized methods have been used to determine the effectiveness of antidepressants, cognitive, brief interpersonal psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapies in treating chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic back pain (Butler, Chapman, Forman, & Beck, 2006, p. 17).
Byrne, Craske and Stein (2009) argue that brief interpersonal therapy and antidepressants are effective in reducing the irritable bowel syndrome (p. 257). The people suffering from the irritable bowel syndrome admit that they feel relieved from the syndrome whenever they attend the brief interpersonal therapy. The cognitive behavior therapy has also been proved to be effective in treating back pains. The pain on the back reduces when the patients are subjected to cognitive behavior therapy (Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2009, p. 257).
The cognitive behavior therapy has also been found to treat or reduce chronic fatigue syndrome. Several studies have proved that patients with chronic fatigue syndrome are relieved from the syndrome when they attend cognitive behavioral therapy. The syndrome, however, cannot be treated by psychodynamic interpersonal therapy (Butler, Chapman, Forman, & Beck, 2006, p. 29).
Another current evidence-based standard that proves the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in the treatment of psychosocial disorders is the continued use of family interventions for schizophrenic disorders. It has been noted that patients with schizophrenic disorders find it easy to cope with the disorder when they are subjected to optimal pharmacotherapy with family based treatments (Miklowitz & Scott, 2009, p 113).
The educational family strategies are effective in minimizing the effects of environmental stresses on the biologically vulnerable people. These strategies promote social function in these individuals. The most commonly used strategy is care-based stress management, which enhances the patient’s efficiency in problem solving (Miklowitz & Scott, 2009, p 118).
Lastly, the behaviorally oriented therapeutic programs have been used in several occasions to treat patients with autism spectrum disorder. The behavioral therapies have also become common in the treatment of unspecified pervasive developmental disorder. The patients suffering from these two disorders have admitted having impressive results whenever they attend the behavioral therapies. This is also evidence that the behavioral interventions are effective in the treatment of patients with psychosocial disorders (Butler, Chapman, Forman, & Beck, 2006, p. 20).
References
Butler, A. C., Chapman, J. E., Forman, E. M., & Beck, A. T. (2006). The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Clinical Psychological Review, 26(1), 17-31.
Byrne, P. R., Craske, M. G., & Stein, M. B. (2009). A randomized effectiveness trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication for primary care panic disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 69(3), 256-264.
Miklowitz, D. J., & Scott, J. (2009). Psychological treatments for bipolar disorder: Cost- effectiveness, mediating mechanisms, and future directions. International Journal of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, 11(2), 110-122.
Rohde, P., Clarke, G. N., Mace, D. E., Jorgenson, J. S., & Seeley, J. R. (2009). An effectiveness study of cognitive-behavioral treatment for adolescents with comorbid major depression and conduct disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(6), 660-668.