Psychosocial Approaches in the Treatment of Psychosis: Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) and Metacognitive Training (MCT)

Although antipsychotic medication has been the most widely used and efficacious treatment in ameliorating the symptoms of psychosis, there has been a growing realization that pharmacological treatment has limitations. A significant minority of individuals continue to show "treatment-resistant" symptoms and significant relapse risk, while others show symptom reduction without the corresponding improvement in social and role functioning. Psychotherapy, in combination with medication, can help with symptom reduction, as well as improve functioning and quality of life. In this paper, we focus on two modalities of psychotherapy which have been shown to improve symptomatology and functioning in individuals with psychosis: Cognitive Behavior Therapy for psychosis (CBTp) and Metacognitive Training (MCT). Both treatment approaches focus on increasing the individuals' understanding of the psychological mechanisms associated with delusions and hallucinations, and helping them develop strategies to improve reality testing and belief evaluation. We aim to provide an overview of both treatments, examining not only the theoretical mechanisms and efficacy of each approach, but also the common therapeutic components they share.