Changing society’s whole approach to psychosis

The British Psychological Society’s report “Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia: why people sometimes hear voices, believe things that others find strange, or appear out of touch with reality, and what can help” (Cooke, A. (ed.), 2014) has generated extensive media coverage and debate. It is a book-length consensus report outlining in everyday language a psychosocial approach to experiences that are commonly thought of as psychosis. Written by a group of 24 authors including many of the leading psychology researchers in the field, together with people who have themselves experienced psychosis, it aims to provide an accessible overview of the current state of knowledge in language that everyone can understand. This editorial summarises the report, the reasons we wrote it and the responses it has received.