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A bias-oriented treatment approach: The metacognitive training for schizophrenia patients (MCT)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

S. Moritz
Affiliation:
UKE-Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
T.S. Woodward
Affiliation:
University of British Columbia; BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Abstract

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Until recently, psychological therapy for schizophrenia was considered inefficient or even harmful by many clinicians. The reservation against psychotherapy is partly rooted in the assumption that delusions are not amenable to psychological understanding. However, meta-analyses suggest that cognitive intervention is effective in ameliorating schizophrenia symptoms. In addition, evidence has accumulated that cognitive biases, such as jumping to conclusions (JTC), are involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia positive symptoms, particularly delusions. A recently developed group program, called metacognitive training (MCT), is presented targeting cognitive biases. The MCT is a hybrid of psychoeducation, cognitive remediation and cognitive-behavioural therapy. Patients are taught strategies how to identify and defuse “cognitive traps”. The program can be downloaded at no cost at www.uke.de/mkt and is currently available in more than 20 languages. New evidence on the feasibility and efficacy of the MCT is presented. At the end, a novel individualized variant entitled MCT+ is demonstrated targeting individual delusional ideas. A random-controlled study asserts the efficacy of the MCT+ to reduce JTC as well as delusion severity and conviction.

Type
S41-04
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2011
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