Using cognitive behaviour therapy techniques with people who hold delusional beliefs
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Using cognitive behaviour therapy techniques with people who hold delusional beliefs

Lauren Ashton Cox Cognitive behaviour therapy specialist in psychosis, Halton and Warrington Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, St John’s Unit, North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Cheshire, England

People experiencing psychosis who are deemed treatment resistant are not always given access to evidence-based psychological therapies, in particular cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). It has been suggested that CBT has many benefits for people experiencing psychosis, yet it is not always effective due to entrenchment of beliefs.

This article uses a case study approach to increase awareness of CBT skills, particularly cognitive exploration and reappraisal with delusional material, to support mental health practitioners in their work with this client group. It describes assessment, formulation and techniques using CBT for psychosis (CBTp) with a service user, focusing on cognitive interventions used with delusional beliefs. Findings include a marked reduction in psychopathology, indicated via clinical measures and self-report. These results challenge notions associated with psychosis chronicity and illustrate how cognitive interventions can reduce service user distress.

Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2019.e1397

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

loz-cox@hotmail.co.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Cox L (2019) Using cognitive behaviour therapy techniques with people who hold delusional beliefs. Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2019.e1397

Published online: 21 October 2019

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