There are many psychological therapies used in the treatment of Sz. The use of drugs is common form of therapy however, it is thought treatment is more effective when used in conjunction with but psychological therapies which can help people develop the skills and the confidence to live normally in the community.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the main psychological treatment of Schizophrenia (Sz). CBT is based on the idea that people with mental disorders have irrational and unrealistic ways of thinking. The aim of CBT is to adjust thinking patterns and alter inappropriate beliefs. Patients are encouraged to track back the origins of their symptoms and evaluate the content of their delusions o test the validity of their faulty beliefs. Understanding where symptoms originate can be crucial to some patients as offering a range of explanations for the existence of hallucinations and delusions can help reduce anxiety. An example of CBT is called belief modification, which teaches strategies to counter delusional beliefs and hallucinations. Patients are taught to regard their delusions and hallucinations as hypotheses rather than reality and learn to challenge these initial negative symptoms. Typically, CBT is administered around once every 10 days for about 12 sessions to identify and alter irrational thinking.
There is much supporting research for CBT and it has been shown to have a significant effect on improving symptoms of patients Sz. Outcome studies measure how well a person does after treatment and outcome studies of CBT suggests that patients experience fewer hallucinations and delusions. Drury found benefits in terms of reduction on positive symptoms and a 25-50% reduction in recovery time for patients who used a combinations of antipsychotic medication and CBT. In a meta-analysis by Gould, it was found that seven studies reported a statistically significant decrease