Cognitive therapy for schizophrenia: From conceptualization to intervention

Objectives: To outline the cognitive understanding of symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions, hallucinations, and emotional withdrawal, and to review the cognitive therapy approach to ameliorating these symptoms. Method: We identified studies examining cognitive factors associated with symptoms of schizophrenia by electronic search (using Medline and Psycinfo). This paper integrates experimental findings and clinical treatment. Results: Recent studies focusing on the psychological aspects of schizophrenia demonstrate the importance of common cognitive biases and distortions that are functionally related to the maintenance of symptoms. Understanding the disorder in cognitive terms provides a framework for psychotherapeutic intervention. Adapting cognitive strategies successfully used in cognitive therapy of depression and anxiety provides an important adjunct to standard treatment of schizophrenia. Conclusion: Given that the outcome of current treatment for schizophrenia remains poor, attention to therapist training in psychological approaches is essential.