Acceptance and commitment therapy for psychosis

Abstract

Although various pharmacological treatments are available for persons suffering with positive psychotic symptoms, these symptoms often continue to occur even when medications are taken. Traditional psychosocial methods such as family therapy and cognitive-behavioral alleviate symptoms in this population, but interventions are often lengthy and difficult. The present paper argues that directly targeting the reduction of psychotic symptoms could produce paradoxical effects, and instead argues for the importance of acceptance, cognitive defusion, and valued action as coping methods. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is described as such a method, and its outcomes with this population are briefly summarized. A short case on ACT with a psychotic retarded person is presented as an example of the applicability of these methods to persons who are cognitively challenged.