British Psychological Society report focuses on understanding psychosis

The British Psychological Society’s report, Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia, was recently released in the United States and highlights ways experts can understand and treat patients with psychosis.

“The finding that psychosis can be understood and treated in the same way as other psychological problems such as anxiety is one of the most important of recent years, and services need to change accordingly,” Anne Cooke, PsyD, consultant clinical psychologist from the Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology at Canterbury Christ Church University, said in a press release.

The report suggests that patients who hear voices or feel paranoid may be having reactions to trauma, abuse or deprivation, and that these symptoms may not be psychosis.

“Calling them symptoms of mental illness, psychosis or schizophrenia is only one way of thinking about them, with advantages and disadvantages,” the authors wrote. “There is no clear dividing line between ‘psychosis’ and other thoughts, feelings and beliefs: psychosis can be understood and treated in the same way as other psychological problems such as anxiety or shyness.”

The report also addresses varying cultures’ perceptions of psychotic symptoms. For instance, the report suggests that in some cultures hearing voices is a valued trait.

“For many people experiences such as hearing voices or feeling paranoid are short-lived. Even people who continue to experience them nevertheless often lead happy and successful lives,” the report states.

The authors recommend mental health care services shift toward a prevention-based treatment model in an effort to reduce abuse, deprivation and inequality, according to the report.

“We welcome this report which highlights the range of ways in which we can understand experiences such as hearing voices. Anyone of us can experience problems with our mental health, whether we are diagnosed or not,” Beth Murphy, head of information at the UK Mental Health Charity Mind, said in the release.

Reference:

‘Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia: Why people sometimes hear voices, believe things that others find strange, or appear out of touch with reality, and what can help.’ Accessed March 23, 2015.