A recovery-oriented cognitive therapy (CT-R) developed by Paul Grant, PhD, and colleagues in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, has previously been shown in a randomized controlled trial in low-functioning individuals with schizophrenia to improve global functioning and reduce avolition/apathy as well as positive symptoms over an 18-month treatment period.
CT-R was developed for individuals with schizophrenia who are isolated from interactions with others and have limited motivation to engage in activities. The first component of CT-R employs various methods to engage and establish a connection with the individual, ranging from listening to music to going for a walk. The therapist then identifies personal aspirations, such as obtaining a job or reconnecting to family. The process moves into guidance to attain a series of nested success experiences in the direction of fulfilling those aspirations.
Grant and colleagues undertook a 6-month follow-up of the subjects in the original trial and reported in a June online posting in Psychiatric Services that the improvements over baseline were maintained across the follow-up period when therapy was withdrawn.3 The results support, they indicate, “the notion that CT-R produces an enduring change in beliefs and skills that enable individuals to continue to maintain gains without their therapist.”