Cognitive behaviour therapy for schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the major and potentially severe mental illnesses. Even with best practices, there are limitations to the effectiveness of treatments that include medications for this disorder. Relapse rates are high and often those with the illness remain symptomatic and functionally impaired. All the evidence suggests that individuals with schizophrenia do best with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial intervention. One psychosocial treatment that has received much attention is cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). This brief review will address what we know about the use and effectiveness of CBT at all phases of schizophrenia and its strengths, weaknesses and its future.