Insight into schizophrenia: the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy on the components of insight and association with sociodemographics - data on a previously published randomised controlled trial

Insight in schizophrenia is an evolving concept with widespread use in clinical practice. Results are presented from a multicentre randomised trial in which patients with schizophrenia and carers received a short insight-focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) intervention from trained nurses in the community. The CBT group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in insight into compliance with treatment and the ability to re-label their psychotic symptoms as pathological compared with the control group at post-therapy assessment. Those participants who demonstrated improved insight into having a mental illness tended to become depressed. At the end of therapy and at 1-year follow-up, there was a statistically significantly increased dropout rate in African-Caribbean and Black African participants. The Black Caribbean group showed a significantly smaller change in insight compared to the white group. At 1-year follow-up, the result on total insight and compliance was durable. The change in insight in the Black African group was significantly lower compared to the white group. The study emphasizes the role of a short insight-focused CBT intervention in improving patients' insight into compliance and its implications. The results confirm previous findings of difficulties in engaging patients of Afro-Caribbean origin and their poor response to psychological therapies as currently delivered. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.