Introduction
The mental health of individuals is one of the most important concerns of the modern age. The World Health Organization (2022) states that mental health conditions are growing globally. There is a 13% rise in disorders of this type, which evidences the topicality of the issue (WHO, 2022). Statistics show that 1 in every 5 individuals might experience a mental illness (WHO, 2022). For this reason, numerous attempts exist to address the problem and find a solution that might help to improve the quality of people’s lives and reduce the incidence. Schizophrenia is among the severe mental diseases affecting patients and requiring complex treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered a practical tool that might help attain improvement among this cohort and promote positive shifts.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is one of the severe mental diseases affecting individuals and reducing the quality of their lives. The disease is characterized by psychotic symptoms, social and occupational decline, and loss of some important social functions (Jauhar et al., 2022). Moreover, cognitive impairment is viewed as one of the further clinical features of the disorder (Jauhar et al., 2022; Srivastav et al., 2022). The treatment implies using antipsychotics to depress some symptoms (Stępnicki et al., 2018). However, it is characterized by severe limitations impacting their effectiveness (Stępnicki et al., 2018). First, half of the patients respond to the therapy, meaning it remains ineffective for numerous individuals (Stępnicki et al., 2018). Second, the treatment might disregard such aspects as social withdrawal and cognitive disorders (Stępnicki et al., 2018). Under these conditions, pharmaceutical treatment is supported with other approaches, such as CBT.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the common approaches used to support patients with mental issues. During the last decades, it has been applied to a wide range of disorders globally (Ng & Wong, 2018). It is a talk therapy implying working with a counselor to eliminate avoidant and safety-seeking behaviors preventing patients from self-correction (Nakao et al., 2021). The approach helps to discover and change destructive behaviors that might have a negative impact on the quality of their lives (Nakao et al., 2021). Thus, CBT is one of the effective methods for managing mental health disorders and stress (Nakao et al., 2021). For patients with schizophrenia, CBT is also used as one of the supporting approaches helping to address adverse symptoms and make the treatment more effective.
Effects of CBT
Speaking about CBT and its importance for people diagnosed with schizophrenia, it is vital to admit several factors. First of all, CBT has been effective in clinical and research settings, meaning its usage for patients is justified (Kart et al., 2021). It helps to address specific symptoms and support individuals in their struggles (Washington, 2022). However, it is critical to realize that CBT cannot be viewed as the only treatment. Clients with schizophrenia require antipsychotic medication to address the changes in the work of their brains (McCutcheon et al., 2020). However, by combining the pharmaceutical approaches with CBT, specialists can attain better outcomes compared to using drugs only (“Cognitive behavioral therapy,” 2019). For this reason, the approach remains popular among care providers and specialists.
Addressing schizophrenia’s symptoms is one of the possible applications of CBT, leading to positive outcomes. For instance, auditory hallucinations are one of the common complications affecting patients with the disease and distressing them (Kart et al., 2021). The individuals view them as malicious and scary, which affects their lives (Kart et al., 2021). CBT might have positive effects on this symptom by determining the nature of the voice, explaining why it emerges, and helping to manage it and avoid undesired actions (Kart et al., 2021). As a result, numerous patients admit the positive effects of CBT on this type of symptom (Kart et al., 2021). Moreover, the method is effective while addressing delusions that are resistant to antipsychotic treatment (Kart et al., 2021). Using a set of questions, a counselor might help a patient to follow a specific logic and realize the true nature of things and avoid erroneous judgments. As a result, there is a significant improvement in thinking and a reduced number of harmful or dangerous behaviors that might promote the deterioration of the condition (Kart et al., 2021). These facts prove the efficiency of CBT in addressing some symptoms of schizophrenia.
Moreover, CBT can be one of the methods helping to prevent the hospitalization of patients with schizophrenia. In many cases, hospitalization of patients suffering from this mental disease is a way to protect themselves or their close people from risky or violent behaviors (Torrey, 2019). This critical deterioration requiring hospitalization is linked to the aggravation of the symptoms and their growing severity (Laws et al., 2018). Thus, CBT is an effective tool for working with patients and managing behaviors that might be dangerous for them. The ability to control their actions is central to avoiding hospitalization and effective social interactions (Altman et al., 2022). For this reason, CBT is one of the possible methods to support patients during their stay at home.
Furthermore, specialists consider CBT as one of the effective interventions for preserving the desired quality of life. When working with patients, counselors might focus on eliminating social avoidance moods and behaviors by explaining their risks and cultivating correct behaviors among clients (Granholm et al., 2016). Behavioral activation can be planned with a therapist to support social life and interactions (Kart et al., 2021). Being a part of his/her community, a patient might feel relief. Moreover, performing routine actions is also vital for positive outcomes (Bighelli et al., 2018). In such a way, CBT is a potent way to ensure the patients remain socialized and do not suffer from isolation or loss of ability to interact with other people surrounding them.
In such a way, the combination of CBT and traditional antipsychotic methods is viewed as a practical approach to helping patients with schizophrenia. As stated previously, pharmaceutical treatment might fail to address some symptoms, such as social withdrawal and cognitive disorders. For this reason, it becomes vital to complement the traditional method with other tools to help address these issues. CBT is viewed as an appropriate choice because it focuses on analyzing undesired behaviors and eliminating them, which is central to positive outcomes and the preservation of the quality of life.
Conclusion
Altogether, CBT is an effective method to help people diagnosed with schizophrenia. The existing body of evidence proves that by combining the approach with the antipsychotic methods, it is possible to attain better outcomes and help people. CBT is effective in addressing some symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, preventing hospitalization, and preserving a high level of social activity. For this reason, the approach is used in numerous cases as a way to make the effects of the pharmaceutical treatment stronger and address specific symptoms.
References
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