CBT

• Outline CBT as a treatment for schizophrenia.

  CBT is a talking therapy that aims to change a schizophrenic individual’s distorted thinking into thinking that is more in line with reality.

  It begins with the therapist and client working together to identify their activating events i.e. the factors that trigger their schizophrenic symptoms.
• Outline CBT as a treatment for schizophrenia.

  The therapist and client then discuss the client’s beliefs about their symptoms e.g. how they think about their auditory hallucinations.

  The therapist then guides the client to recognise the consequences of their beliefs e.g. how them believing that their hallucinations are real negatively affects their feelings/behaviour.
• Outline CBT as a treatment for schizophrenia.

  The therapist then begins to dispute the client’s distorted thinking through logical disputing (e.g. do their delusions make sense), empirical disputing (e.g. is there any evidence to suggest their delusions are true) and pragmatic disputing (e.g. does their delusional thinking help them in any way).

  This aims to restructure their distorted thinking into more effective thinking that is more in line with reality as well as show the patient the strategies they can use to challenge their own

  symptoms outside the therapeutic setting.
• Evaluate CBT as a treatment for schizophrenia: supporting evidence. 


  E.g. CBT results in reduces symptoms (particularly positive ones such as delusions) and lower relapse rates. This is a strength because it suggests that CBT helps to equip the patient with long-term strategies on how to challenge their irrational delusions.
• Evaluate CBT as a treatment for schizophrenia: designed to reduce the positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.


  This is because it centres around identifying and disputing their delusional beliefs and unusual sensory experiences. This is a limitation because it means it is less successful at treating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
• Evaluate CBT as a treatment for schizophrenia: may not address the root cause. 


  This is because it doesn’t reduce symptoms of hallucinations. Instead, it just makes them seem less of a threat by teaching the patient how to dispute them. This is a limitation because it suggests that CBT is just teaching schizophrenic patients how to manage their symptoms rather than removing them.
• Evaluate CBT as a treatment for schizophrenia: may not be easy for schizophrenic patients to engage with.


  This is because their symptoms e.g. of avolition may make it difficult for them to attend weekly talking sessions that they have to actively engage in. This is a limitation because it suggests that alternative treatments such as antipsychotics may be easier to engage with and thus more successful.