Cogntivie Behavioural Therapy For Psychosis

Question 1

What is CBTp based on?

Answer 1

It is based on the idea that schizophrenia is a result of faulty thought processing.

Therefore CBTp works to alter this cognitive processing to help patients identify and correct faulty thought processing.

Question 2

What is the nature of CBTp?

Answer 2

• It aims to tract the origins of symptoms so that patients can understand how they may have developed (psychoeducation is involved)
• It involves evaluation by the patient of their own beliefs and delusions, in order to look for evidence and asses the validity of their beliefs.
• It might also involve homework and behavioural assignments, so that patients can improve their level of functioning.
• Therapist encourages the patient to develop their own alternatives to the maladaptive beliefs, using effective coping strategies to alter their thoughts and behaviours.

Question 3

How many sessions are there?

Answer 3

12 sessions once every 10 days.

Question 4

How does CBTp work?

Answer 4

• Goal setting: The patients experiences and situation is reviewed, realistic goals are set to alter thought processing and the patients distress is used as motivation to achieve those goals.
• Therapist will also place the patients psychotic experiences on a continuum with normal experiences so they feel less stigmatised and it is normalising their behaviours which can reduce their anxiety making recovery more likely to occur.

Question 5

AO3 for CBTp

Answer 5

• 2014 NICE review
• Availability
• Fewer side effects/more expensive than antipsychotics