What non-pharmacological interventions can be beneficial for patients experiencing psychosis?

Non-pharmacological interventions beneficial for patients experiencing psychosis include:

• Family intervention: This reduces the risk of relapse, hospital admissions, and symptom severity during and up to 24 months after treatment. It is recommended for families of people with psychosis, especially those at risk of relapse or with persisting symptoms ¹,²,⁴.
• Individual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): Ideally consisting of at least 16 planned sessions, CBT helps reduce symptoms and is recommended alongside family intervention ¹,²,⁵.
• Arts therapies: Including dance movement, music, art therapy, or dramatherapy, these are effective particularly for reducing negative symptoms and promoting recovery. They should be delivered by registered arts therapists and can be offered in groups or individually depending on engagement ¹,²,³,⁴.
• Digital health technologies: Options such as AVATAR Therapy (for auditory hallucinations), SlowMo (for distressing thoughts or paranoia), and CareLoop (for symptom monitoring to prevent relapse) can be used under professional supervision once approved ¹,².
• Rehabilitation programmes: Recommended for people with complex or treatment-resistant psychosis, especially those with recurrent admissions or impairments affecting social and everyday functioning. These include psychologically informed approaches like motivational interviewing and trauma-informed care ¹,²,⁵.
• Psychologically informed approaches and additional psychological interventions: For those not ready for CBT, approaches focusing on learned behaviours, mindfulness, and wider system influences (family, ward environment) are considered ⁵.
• Monitoring and care planning: Includes crisis plans, advance statements, and coordinated care between primary and secondary care to support ongoing management ¹,².