Compassion-focused therapy for psychosis : presentation of a clinical trial

1º Encontro da Associação Portuguesa de Psicopatologia : "Re-descobrir a Psicopatologia". Aula Magna da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 8 de Abril de 2016 - 9 de Abril de 2016 (Poster)Compassion-focused Therapy (CFT) derives from an evolutionary approach linked to neuroscience and social psychology and was specifically developed for complex disorders in which high levels of shame and self-criticism have a key role. This approach’s main objective is using the Compassionate Mind Training to help people establish compassion-based relationships, deactivating the threat-defense system and developing the soothing system. CFT has shown positive effects on several clinical conditions. It is consensual the importance of psychosocial interventions in the treatment of schizophrenia and this has been an area of significant investment, namely concerning evaluation of efficacy. It has been argued that intervention programs should focus primarily in disease management, change of the underlying mechanisms and adequacy of coping strategies. In psychosis shame and self-criticism have been advocated as a psychological factors increasing vulnerability to relapse which makes CFT especially suitable for this population. The Compassion-Focused Therapy for Psychosis (CFTp) appears in this context as an innovative intervention. Efficacy studies have been emerging with promising results and CFTp seems to address several limitations identified for existing interventions.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia ; Programa Operacional Temático Factores de Competitividade (COMPETE) ; Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional (QREN) ; União EuropeiaN/