CBT

• identify and change irrational thoughts


  The aims of CBT in general are to help clients identify irrational thoughts e.g. Delusions, hallucinations and try to change them. There is usually 5-20 sessions, individually or in a group
• CBT helps clients to understand their symptoms

  • clients are helped to make sense of how their delusions and hallucinations impact on their feelings and behaviour
  • e.g. if a client hears voices and believes they are demons, normalisation involves explaining to the client that hearing voices is an ordinary experience
• CBT example


  Turkington (2004) treated a paranoid client who believed the Mafia were plotting to kill him

  the therapist acknowledged the clients anxiety, and explained that there were other, less frightening possibilities and gently challenged the clients evidence for his belief in the Mafia explanation
• one strength of CBT is evidence for its effectiveness

  Jauhar (2014) reviewed 34 studies of CBT for schizophrenia, and concluded that there is evidence for significant effects on symptoms. pontillo (2016) found reductions in auditory hallucinations. clinical advice from NICE (2019) recommends CBT for people with schizophrenia
• one limitation is the quality of the evidence

  thomas (2015) point out that different studies have focused on different CBT techniques and people with different symptoms. overall modest benefits of CBT for schizophrenia may conceal a range of effects on different technique on different symptoms. this means that its hard to say how effective CBT will be for treating a particular person with schizophrenia