Psychological Treatments for Psychosis: Evidence Based but Unavailable?

Abstract

Abstract Psychosis used not to be seen as a central area for psychological intervention. In the last decade this perception has been changed, with the accumulation of evidence on the efficacy of family intervention for those living with psychosis (staff carers may also benefit from this), and from trials of individual cognitive behavioral intervention with psychosis, trials that have been largely conducted in Britain. This evidence is now compelling for the family work and promising for the individual interventions that services need to be able to offer them. However, the gap between showing efficacy and the routine implementation of effective services appears particularly hard to bridge for psychological interventions. These are cost effective, but require training, supervision, staff support, and management input in order to become generally available; this appears to be a crucial next stage in psychiatric rehabilitation.