Cognitive therapy for the treatment of delusions

Abstract

Traditionally, delusions have been viewed as false, unshakeable beliefs which arise out of internal morbid processes and are out of keeping with a person's educational and cultural background (Hamilton, 1978). Primary delusions appear to arise without understandable cause, and secondary delusions appear more understandable in relation to the prevailing affective state or cultural climate (Sims, 1995), for example. However, during the cognitive therapy process we would expect that even primary delusions might become more understandable as the patient's life history and belief profile are gradually disclosed.