Skip to main content

Evidence to Improve Care

Schizophrenia

Care for Adults in Hospitals

8

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Adults who are admitted to an inpatient setting with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia are offered individual cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis either in the inpatient setting or as part of a post-discharge care plan.


Cognitive behavioural therapy is a form of psychotherapy that helps a person become more conscious of their beliefs and patterns of thinking. It helps them to execute strategies to reshape these to achieve a positive outcome. Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis, in addition to antipsychotic medication, can reduce symptom severity and rehospitalization rates in people with schizophrenia.

For Patients

You should be offered cognitive behavioural therapy. This type of psychotherapy helps you develop skills and strategies to get and stay healthy by focusing on the problems of day-to-day life and how perceptions can affect feelings.


For Clinicians

Offer people with schizophrenia individual cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis that they can access while in hospital or in the community after discharge. Advise them that this therapy is more effective when delivered in conjunction with antipsychotic medication.


For Health Services

Through adequately resourced systems and services, ensure that people with schizophrenia can access cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis on an individual basis, either while in hospital or in the community following discharge. Ensure that clinicians are aware of and able to refer people to these services.

Process Indicator

Through adequately resourced systems and services, ensure that people with schizophrenia can access cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis on an individual basis, either while in hospital or in the community following discharge. Ensure that clinicians are aware of and able to refer people to these services

  • Denominator: total number of adults admitted to an inpatient setting with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia

  • Numerator: number of people in the denominator who are screened for appropriateness of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis

  • Data sources: local data collection

Percentage of adults admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia who are screened and referred for cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis

  • Denominator: total number of adults admitted to an inpatient setting with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia who are screened and deemed appropriate for cognitive behavioural therapy

  • Numerator: number of people in the denominator who are referred for cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis

  • Data source: local data collection


Structural Indicator

Availability of in-hospital cognitive behavioural therapy or referral to community-based cognitive behavioural therapy for adults with schizophrenia

  • Data source: local data collection

Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis

This therapy should be:

  • Started in the inpatient setting. Alternatively, assessment should occur in hospital, with referral for cognitive behavioural therapy on discharge

  • Delivered on a one-to-one basis over at least 16 planned sessions

  • Delivered by an appropriately trained therapist according to a treatment manual

Let’s make our health system healthier

Join Our Patient, Family and Public Advisors Program

Patients, families and the public are central to improving health quality.


Man smiling

Sign up for our newsletter

Are you passionate about quality health care for all Ontarians? Stay in-the-know about our newest programs, reports and news.

Health Quality Connect - Health Quality Ontario's newsletter - on an iPad and a cell phone