Effectiveness of Brief Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for auditory hallucinations in a sample of Egyptian patients with schizophrenia

Background Auditory hallucination is one of the most common symptoms in schizophrenia. The frequency of the auditory hallucinations and ensuing distress make the individual believe that these voices are not able to be controlled and to be coped with. Aim Testing the effectiveness of brief cognitive...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	European psychiatry Vol. 33; no. S1; pp. S259 - S260
Main Authors:	Nagui Rizk, D, Salama, H, Molokhiya, T, Kassem, L
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier Masson SAS 01-03-2016
Subjects:	Auditory hallucinations Brief cognitive behavioral therapy Internal Medicine Psychiatry Schizophrenia Schizophrenia Auditory hallucinations Brief cognitive behavioral therapy
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Background Auditory hallucination is one of the most common symptoms in schizophrenia. The frequency of the auditory hallucinations and ensuing distress make the individual believe that these voices are not able to be controlled and to be coped with. Aim Testing the effectiveness of brief cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp) for auditory hallucinations, using it in modifying the beliefs about the voices and improving symptom severity and overall functioning. Methods Forty participants with schizophrenia were randomized into intervention and control groups. Intervention group were 20 patients who received 8 individual sessions of CBTp plus Treatment As Usual (TAU) over 8 weeks and the control group were the other 20 patients who received TAU only. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Arabic version of Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ) and the General Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF) were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study. Results Intervention group showed a statistically significant increase in GAF ( P = 0.012), a statistically significant reduction regarding the Positive ( P < 0.001), Negative ( P = 0.008), General ( P < 00.001) and total ( P ≤ 00.001) sub-scales of PANSS. Regarding BAVQ, Intervention group showed a statistically significant reduction in Malevolence ( P = 0.008), Engagement ( P = 0.001); and showed a statistically significant increase in Resistance ( P = 0.049) compared to control. Conclusions Brief cognitive behavioral therapy for auditory hallucinations can improve severity of schizophrenia, increase the level of functioning and improve the beliefs about the voices.
ISSN:	0924-9338 1778-3585
DOI:	10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.662