Development and Pilot Evaluation of Modified Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Adolescents With Early Onset Psychosis

In the last decade cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) approaches for patients with schizophrenia have been developed, which where especially designed to reduce severity of positive symptoms, readmission rates, treatment non-compliance and disability. Although CBT addresses the key problems of early onset psychoses (EOP)treatment and first evaluations of CBT in adults with schizophrenia are promising, no experience with CBT in adolescents with EOP are available. Therefore the present study is conducted to develop a modified CBT (mCBT) for adolescents with EOP, to explore its acceptance and feasibility and to provide data for a realistic estimation of achievable effect size. Patients are randomized to receive either mCBT+TAU or TAU over a 9 month period. mCBT is an individual outpatient treatment of 20 session and 5 psychoeducational sessions with parents. Follow-ups for two years every 6 months are planned.