CBT for schizophrenia

Question 1

What is CBT? What does CBT aim to do?

Answer 1

cognitive behavioural therapy - an active therapy about present tense
change maladaptive/faulty thinking directly
changes mental processes to control their own behaviour rather than reducing the symptoms

Question 2

What does it involve? Sessions?

Answer 2

one to one weekly sessions.

therapist and patient work collaboratively.

Question 3

why is it used?

Answer 3

drugs don’t treat all symptoms so this is useful

Question 4

what is the abc model

Answer 4

activating event - triggering event
belief - triggers a belief e.g. everyone can read my mind
consequence - paranoia so take evasive action to avoid coming into contact with others

Question 5

what are the three stages of cbt for SZ

Answer 5

belief medication - challenging delusions directly and test against reality
reattribution - reattributing auditory hallucinations and understanding they’re self generated. looks at voice, tone, content
normalising - cognitive distorions discussed alongside triggering events to normalise/de-catastrophise them

Question 6

Supporting evidence?

Answer 6

+ Chadwick & Lowe (1994): found 10/12 patients showed a decrease in their beliefs in delusions and 5/12 completely rejected their delusions
+ Bentall (1994a): found 3/6 patients were able to reattribute the voices to themselves.

Question 7

Conflicting evidence?

Answer 7

• sensky: found that CBT has same effect as placebo

Question 8

other treatment:

Answer 8

• drugs = cbt better than drugs bc drugs doesn’t

treat all symptoms so better to use it alongside e.g. give drugs while they wait for cbt to have an effect

Question 9

usefulness?

Answer 9

+ patient doesn’t feel powerless in therapy - they are actively making themselves better
+ no side effects
+ tailored to individuals needs so effective
- social control - changing their behaviour
- informed consent - mentally ill so vulnerable groups
- how do you know it is effective if you cant measure improvements in cognition