Behavioural Psychotherapy and Schizophrenia: The Past, the Present, and the Future

Abstract

Behavioural therapists have been involved with the management of schizophrenia since the emergence of the discipline in the 1950s. It has been stated recently that behaviour therapists have lost interest in serious mental illness. However, in the last few years great advances have been made in behavioural approaches to the management of schizophrenia. Controlled trials of family management methods have indicated that: relapse rates can be reduced, the patient's social functioning increased and family burden decreased. These approaches also have economic benefits over traditional services. Furthermore, other methods, such as early signs monitoring followed by early intervention and self-management of drug resistant residual symptoms, have also shown promise. The development of these innovative behavioural approaches is especially important in an era of community based mental health services.