'Talking therapies' could help with schizophrenia

Conclusion This study provides some evidence that cognitive therapy (CT) may be helpful for some people with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. However, the benefits seen – as measured on the rating scale (PANSS) – are small. The study design has strengths in that it attempted to blind the assessors as to which treatment the participants were receiving. It also recruited participants who did not want to take antipsychotic medication and had not done so for six months before the study. However, 10 people in each group did take antipsychotics during the trial. This complicates the results, as it is not clear whether the improvements were as a result of the CT, the medication or a combination of both. A further point that the researchers raise is that it is not clear whether the specific type of talking therapy is important, or whether the contact time, warmth and empathy that was received in the CT group was the factor that made the difference. Schizophrenia spectrum disorders cover a wide range of symptoms and each person has a different individual experience of their illness. This study contributes to previous research, which has shown that CT can be beneficial for people with the condition. However, importantly, it does not show that it is better or equivalent to antipsychotic medication. The participants continued to have moderate levels of illness despite receiving therapy. If you are taking medication for a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, it is important that yo...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Source Type: news