ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Translational Medicine
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Targeting Persecutory Delusions in Chronic Outpatients with Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial on Functional Recovery and Symptom SeverityClinical application of cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with schizophrenia
Hailu Xu
Daoying Liu
Xiaoyan Zhang
Daoying Liu
Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Abstract
Background: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a recommended psychosocial intervention for schizophrenia, yet its integrated application in routine clinical settings warrants further empirical evaluation. Aim: This study aimed to assess the effects of adjunctive, structured CBT on clinical symptoms, affective states, self-efficacy, and quality of life in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia.To assess the clinical application of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in schizophrenia patients. Methods: In a randomized controlled design, 66 inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia at the Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from August to October 2022 were allocated to either a research group (RG, n=33) or a control group (CG, n=33). The CG received conventional pharmacotherapy, while the RG received pharmacotherapy plus a manualized, individual CBT intervention (once weekly, 60 minutes per session, for 4 weeks). Outcomes were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Auditory Hallucinations Rating Scale (AHRS), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). Data were analyzed using t-tests, χ² tests, and repeated-measures ANOVA as appropriate.A total of 66 schizophrenia patients who were admitted to our hospital from August to October 2022 were separated into research group (RG) and control group (CG) in random, with 33 cases in each group. Patients in
Summary
Keywords
Anxiety, Cognition, cognitive behavioral therapy, Depression, Quality of Life, Schizophrenia
Received
01 December 2025
Accepted
31 January 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Xu, Liu, Zhang and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Daoying Liu; Daoying Liu
Disclaimer
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