Comparisons of Narrative Psychotherapy to Conventional CBT for the Psychotherapy of Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder

Abstract

Introduction

There is ongoing debate about about both the value of psychotherapy in psychotic disorders and the best type of psychotherapy to use if necessary.

Methods

We conducted narrative psychotherapy with 18 adults, all diagnosed as having bipolar disorder with psychotic features and/or schizo-affective disorder. Outcome data consisted of the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, the Clinical Global Impressions Scale, the Young Mania Rating Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scales, the My Medical Outcome Profile, Version 2(MYMOP2), and the Outcome Rating Scales of Duncan and Miller. We compare the outcomes of our patients to those of a matched comparison group receiving conventional psycho-education and cognitive behavioural therapy. Patients were seen for a minimum of 16 weeks over an average of 22 weeks. Average age was 31.5 years with a standard deviation of 8.1 years.

Results

The narrative therapy group showed statistically significant reductions in all outcome measures compared to the conventional treatment group. They continued treatment significantly longer and had fewer re-hospitalizations. They were less distressed by voices.

Conclusions

A narrative psychotherapy approach using dialogical theory and therapy ideas is a reasonable approach for the psychotherapy of psychosis. Review of psychotherapy notes showed that narrative approaches allowed the therapist to align with the patient as collaborator in considering the story presented and was therefore less productive of defensiveness and self-criticism than conventional approaches. The therapy included techniques for negotiating changes in illness narratives, identity narratives, and treatment narratives that were more conducive of well-being and recovery.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.