Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) for Schizophrenia: Literature Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

There is a great deal of evidence supporting the use of CBT for psychosis (CBTp). In fact, CBTp is recommended by the National Treatment Guidelines in both the U.K. and the U.S. The availability of CBTp, however, remains an issue due to a variety of factors, including training and resources. A proposed way to tackle this problem is to offer a brief version of CBTp. We therefore reviewed the literature to see whether brief CBTp is effective in treating psychotic symptoms. We searched medical databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults with schizophrenia or related disorders that tested brief CBTp for its effectiveness. We found 620 records through electronic searching of the databases. After screening, 48 full-text articles met criteria for further assessment, but only 14 were potentially relevant; these were closely assessed for inclusion. Finally, 9 articles (covering seven studies) were selected. In this meta-analysis we found a moderate effect size for brief CBTp compared with TA...