psychlotron.org.uk What’s going on inside the ‘black box’? People are laughing on the bus There’s something wrong with me

psychlotron.org.uk What’s going on inside the ‘black box’? My papers are not where I left them People are trying to sabotage my career

psychlotron.org.uk What’s going on inside the ‘black box’? I can’t hear what people are saying My family is plotting against me

psychlotron.org.uk Cognitive approach Schizophrenia symptoms are the result of faulty information processing Misattributed speech & behaviour Faulty self-monitoring Deficits in STM & semantic memory

psychlotron.org.uk Cognitive Approach Events in the world PerceptionInferenceBelief Search for new info Source: Bentall (1990)

psychlotron.org.uk Cognitive approach Treatment involves getting the patient to modify their beliefs about their experiences

psychlotron.org.uk Cognitive therapies CBT strategies to challenge & help modify delusory beliefs Identify delusions Challenge evidence on which delusions are based Design ‘experiments’ to test reality of this evidence Chadwick & Lowe (1993) – significant reductions in delusions in 10 out of 12 patients

psychlotron.org.uk Cognitive therapies Normalising strategies where patient is taught to understand the nature of schiz. symptoms Challenge ‘catastrophising’ beliefs about schizophrenia Help patient feel that symptoms are understandable and ‘normal’ Helps 70% of patients although other 30% may deteriorate (Kingdon & Turkington, 1996)