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Thought-stopping for Delusions and Hallucinations: A Pilot Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2009

Yves Lamontagne
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital, Montreal, Canada
Nicole Audet
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital, Montreal, Canada
Robert Elie†
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Louis H. Lafontaine Hospital, Montreal, Canada

Extract

A pilot controlled study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of the thought-stopping technique (T.S.) as a treatment for persecutory delusions and auditory hallucinations with chronic schizophrenics already treated with neuroleptics and to compare this combination with patients only treated with antipsychotic drugs. Medication was standardized for each patient and psychological measurements were recorded before and after treatment and during a 6-month follow-up. Results show significant differences in favor of the T.S. group mainly after treatment. Although T.S. was beneficial for chronic psychotics, other studies should be conducted with patients whose illness would be less severe and less chronic. The length of treatment as well as the cues that would serve to stop delusions and hallucinations also merit further investigation.

Type
Clinical Section
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 1983

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