The relationship between psychoanalysis and schizophrenia by Richard Lucas-A commentary

Psychoanalysis provides a framework for understanding human experience, which can be of great value to persons suffering from psychiatric disorders, and to their caretakers. There are also, of course, other useful frameworks. In past years, some have inferred that the value of psychoanalysis with these patients implies that it helps us to understand the aetiology of their disorders, that it may offer a 'cure', or that it has some special relevance to their problems. There is no evidence for any of these. Further progress in this area should be based on new evidence.     

The relationship between psychoanalysis and schizophrenia-A response to the commentary by Robert Michels

In this section, the author responds to Dr Michels's commentary. In contrast to the situation in the United States, there are far fewer psychoanalysts in the UK and very few indeed working in general psychiatry to influence its practice. It is argued that psychoanalysis differs from all other psychological approaches with its recognition of the inner world and its unconscious influence on the individual's everyday life. Michels invites one to focus on outcome studies to judge the effectiveness of psychoanalysis in schizophrenia. There is a danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater in that psychoanalysis helps in understanding presenting clinical material and in risk assessment in everyday general psychiatry.