Thought control strategies in schizophrenia: a comparison with non-patients

This study tested the hypothesis that patients with a diagnosis of schizoph renia would report the use of different thought control strategies in compa rison with non-patients. The Thought Control Questionnaire [TCQ; Wells, A. & Davies, M. (1994). The thought control questionnaire: a measure of indivi dual differences in the control of unwanted thoughts. Behaviour Research an d Therapy, 32, 871-878.] was administered to 22 patients who met DSM-IV cri teria for schizophrenia and 22 non-patients. The results showed that schizo phrenic patients used different thought control strategies (more worry and punishment-based strategies, less distraction-based strategies) in comparis on with non-patients. The theoretical and clinical implications of these fi ndings are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.