Psychological methods of treating hallucinations and delusions: 1

This article, the first in a two-part series, describes how the neuro-biological, social and environmental factors involved in the course and treatment of schizophrenia have helped to establish a pathway to recovery or remission that does not embrace pharmacological therapy alone. Research into drug-resistant symptoms and poor adherence rates (Curson et al, 1985) demands effective alternatives and additions to more traditional approaches to treatment such as medication. The second part of the article describes how evidence-based psychological interventions were used to help a client suffering from treatment-resistant delusions, allied to a chaotic lifestyle and substance misuse, that had previously presented a substantial challenge to the mental health services.