[Cognitive behavior therapy of a patient with chronic schizophrenia]

A case of successful cognitive behavioural treatment of a 63-year-old woman with chronic schizophrenia is reported. She suffered from medication-resistant auditory hallucinations and was therefore referred for therapy. She continued throughout the therapy on olanzapine 10 mg, the maximum dose tolerated. The therapy went through the stages of engagement, psychological formulation, normalisation, challenging beliefs and providing alternative explanations to her experiences. Socratic questioning was used throughout the therapy as part of the ongoing engagement process. The therapy lasted 21 sessions and she achieved a significant reduction in the PSYRATS rating scale, which was consistent with the markedly improved clinical picture.