This second book in the University of Hertfordshire's series of relapse prevention manuals takes the same format and builds on the principles established in the highly successful "Relapse Prevention in Bipolar Disorder" by the same author. As such it offers an important new psycho-educational and cognitive therapy for relapse problems in Schizophrenia and other psychotic states. The key characteristics of this groundbreaking therapy are that it is brief, taking place over only four to six 60-minute sessions, and that it can be delivered by practitioners with little specialist training. The author, John Sorensen, has achieved impressive results with clients who have received the therapy. These results include significantly reduced hopelessness, which is known to be closely related to the likelihood of attempting suicide, a major problem in the psychotic population. Historically, the provision of psychology-based interventions for psychosis has been limited and often clearly insufficient in many areas and the standard treatment continues to be drug-based. However, many clients request a more psychological approach and often reject medication all together.
The Sorensen approach to relapse prevention addresses such issues within a framework that recognises the importance of adherence to medication while also acknowledging that many clients may need convincing of the merits of medication. Dr. Sorensen's intervention programme is based on the collaborative development of a relapse prevention handbook that also provides the client with an individualised bio-psycho-social formulation of their psychosis-related experiences. Education about the disorder, finding a client's particular triggers for relapse, tailor-made coping strategies, and the inclusion of the client's social network in attempts to stabilise psychotic states are the key elements. The manual comes with 5 patient workbooks. Packs of 10 patient workbooks are available separately.