Durability of the effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia: 12-month follow-up.
BACKGROUND
Persistent drug-resistant psychotic symptoms are a pervasive problem in the treatment of schizophrenia.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the durability of the treatment effects of cognitive-behavioural therapy for chronic schizophrenia one year after treatment termination.


METHODS
A comparison of clinical outcomes was made at one-year follow-up from a randomised trial of cognitive-behavioural therapy, supportive counselling and routine care alone in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia.


RESULTS
Seventy out of the 72 patients (97%) who completed treatment were assessed at follow-up. There were significant differences between the three groups when positive and negative symptoms were analysed by means of ANCOVAs. Between-group comparisons indicated significant differences between cognitive-behavioural therapy and routine care at follow-up for positive symptoms. There was a trend towards significance for both cognitive-behavioural therapy and supportive counselling to be superior to routine care alone on negative symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
At 12-month follow-up the significant advantage of cognitive-behavioural therapy compared to routine care alone remained.
Tarrier
N
N
Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, University of Manchester. ntarrier@fsl.with.man.ac.uk
Wittkowski
A
A
Kinney
C
C
McCarthy
E
E
Morris
J
J
Humphreys
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D012944:Social Support; D016896:Treatment Outcome