Cognitive Behavioural Therapy used in the Treatment of Schizophrenia Flashcards
What does Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (for psychosis) do?
-targets a patient’s dysfunctional thoughts and distorted beliefs which causes maladaptive feelings and behaviours.
e.g. delusions are thought to result from fauly interpretations of events, and CBT is used to help the patient identify and correct these faulty interpretations. NICE guidelines recommend at least 6 sessions of CB to achieve this.
What are one of the aims of CBT for schizophrenia?
to help the patient establish links between their delusional thoughts, feelings and actions as suggested by the ABC(DE) model
How does the ABC(DE) model work?
-A patient would be asked to identify activating events (A) that are causing their delusional beliefs (B) and they are taught to understand the emotional and behavioural consequences (C) of these beliefs.
-The patient is then taught how to dispute (D) their delusional
beliefs and replace them with effective (E) alternative ways to think.
-This reduces distress and so improves funetioning.
Why may specific disputing techniques be taught?
to help patients reality test the validity of
their delusional beliefs
How might a therapist use empirical disputing (D)?
-by asking a patient to provide evidence for their belief.
e.g. the delusional belief (B) that people are always trying to harm me might be challenged by the therapist to identify somebody who wouldn’t want to do this. -This could lead the patient to have a more adaptive belief (E), such as …
Why are patients often set behavioural homework assignments?
to investigate the irrational thinking and start adopting more adaptive behaviours
How is homework used?
Patients report back to therapist in the proceeding session, who then assesses their progress and may set a more challenging assignment.
e.g. if a patient has paranoid thoughts about the world, a therapist may ask them to record their thoughts and feelings in a thought diary to find out what may be triggering these thoughts (A).
-If a patient suffers from/polition they may be encouraged to sit in the garden one week, and if successful, walk around the block the next.
How is homework used?
Patients report back to therapist in the proceeding session, who then assesses their progress and may set a more challenging assignment.
e.g. if a patient has paranoid thoughts about the world, a therapist may ask them to record their thoughts and feelings in a thought diary to find out what may be triggering these thoughts (A).
-If a patient suffers from/polition they may be encouraged to sit in the garden one week, and if successful, walk around the block the next.
