Cognitive Treatment of Depression

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Table of Contents

The rationale for cognitive therapy
How cognitive therapy works
Empirical Evidence on the Effectiveness of Cognitive Therapy
Conclusion
References

The hassles and hurdles of life are usually characterised by mood variation which may take toll on an individual and affect the normal functioning of the body. Depression has for a long time been associated with the difficulty to deal with challenges experienced in the day to day life.

It is a condition that makes a person excessively moody; always sad, discouraged, hopeless, anxious, irritable and a general feeling of despair and emptiness in life (Dobson, 2011). This state usually lasts longer than is normally expected.

A depressed person may loose enthusiasm in activities that were initially of great interest. Research has shown that this condition is one of the leading risk factor for suicidal tendencies due to the strong emotions associated with it (Butler & Beck, 2005).

There are several sub-types of depression depending on their signs and symptoms, and the effects they have on a person. Effective treatment of depression relies on proper identification of the type. Several options for treating this condition have been developed.

The essay discusses the cognitive treatment of depression disorder. It describes the rationale for the therapy, some of the therapeutic techniques used to treat this disorder, and provide a brief overview of the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of this treatment method.

The rationale for cognitive therapy

Treatment of any disease or disorder depends on the accurate understanding of the signs and symptoms, the possible causes as well as the effects it has on an individual. Some of the treatment options include music therapy, group therapy, pet therapy, psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, physical exercise, and use of medicinal drugs.

Cognitive therapy is one of the most effective and efficient method for treating depression (Rupke, Blecke & Renfrow, 2006). As already mentioned, depression interferes with the normal functioning of the body including the thought process.

A depressed person develops extremely negative thoughts and attitudes towards life in general resulting in a distorted perception of reality. The negative thoughts have to be defused by the use of appropriate techniques in order to restore normalcy in the person’s thought process (Beck, 2006). This has emerged as one of the major reason justifying the use of cognitive therapy in the treatment of depression disorder.

While antidepressant medicines have been found to work effectively in dealing with moderate depression, research findings reveal that cognitive therapy is effective as well (Butler & Beck, 2005). Symptoms such as fatigue, low self-esteem and manifestations of suicidal tendencies are closely associated with thought problems (Beck, 2006).

It would therefore be appropriate to use cognitive therapy to reduce these symptoms and reinstate proper thinking and better feeling. For a long period, depression had been treated using medicinal drugs and had been found not to work effectively in treating all cases of depression (Butler & Beck, 2005).

This was mainly due to the multifaceted nature of the condition. Among those cases that could not be treated include the ones involving negative thoughts and attitudes. In the 1960s, cognitive therapy was introduced as an alternative method for dealing with the disorder.

The other rationale for using cognitive therapy in treating depression disorder is the fact that thoughts can significantly influence the moods of an individual (Dobson, 2011). A depressed person may have negative thoughts without being aware of them.

Conscious effort should be made to identify the existence of such automatic thoughts which are known to be recipe for distorted perception of reality. Cognitive therapy plays a significant role in facilitating this effort. The depressed person will be able not only to think positively but to have a realistic view of life and its challenges.

How cognitive therapy works

Cognitive therapists employ several strategies while treating people with depression. These therapeutic techniques are used to help individuals re-order their thinking patterns especially when confronted with problems in life. It is the ups and downs of life that contribute to depression in many people, young and old alike (Persons, Davidson & Tompkins, 2000).

This treatment approach is very active and structured in nature with focus on the problem at hand.

The first strategy is to understand the fact that problems in life are multifaceted: different individuals view the same problem from different perspectives; thoughts about the same problem vary; the emotions of a person concerning the problem are also unique; the view of the problem depends on the physical feelings of an individual when dealing with a problem; and most significantly, the actions of an individual prior, during, and the period after the occurrence of the problem (Segal, 2004).

These are the most important angles from which any problem may be viewed. Cognitive therapy helps an individual to learn how to breakdown the problems into its constituent facets and categorise them into critical and minor problems. This will go a long way in ensuring that each problem is dealt with, one part at a time. The patient is usually taught the various tools of cognitive therapy.

The treatment process is organised into clear therapy sessions by a qualified cognitive therapist (Rupke et al., 2006). At the end of specific sessions, the depressed person is expected to complete some take-home assignments which will enable him or her to apply what has been learnt in selected real life challenging situations.

All sessions are linked by continued review of the progress made from one lesson to the next. Under normal circumstances, a complete cognitive therapeutic course consists of about 14 to 16 sessions. Serious cases, however, may take longer than usual. These opportunities are designed to help the patient improve on his or her thinking and behavioural patterns in a progressive manner culminating in the reduction of depression (Persons et al., 2000).

Apart from the sessions, there is the formulation of individualised cases, scheduling of various relevant activities as well as the schema change method. In order to understand the relationships between the type of thoughts, emotions, physiology and overt behaviour, the patient is requested to keep a record of all the undesirable thoughts as well as mental impressions or images about reality.

Once these cognitions have been identified, the depressed person is taught how to evaluate them and adapt a realistic viewpoint and eliminate negative thoughts and distorted mental images (Dobson, 2011). In general, this approach employs both cognitive and behavioural techniques during treatment hence the alternative name, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT).

Empirical Evidence on the Effectiveness of Cognitive Therapy

The effectiveness of cognitive therapy relative to other treatment options has been proved to be superior over time in various depression treatment centers. A number of studies have indicated that cognitive therapies have good results just like in the case of pharmacotherapy in all cases of depression (Dobson, 2011).

Cognitive therapy has also been found to be effective in the prevention of relapse which is quite common when alternative treatment interventions are exclusively used (Segal, 2004). The therapy has been found to be a reliable and effective alternative treatment option for physical and mental symptoms associated with depression.

Conclusion

Depression is definitely a serious state that has significant impacts on an individual both physically and mentally. The essay has discussed the cognitive treatment of depression disorder. It has given the rationale for the therapy and some of the therapeutic techniques used to treat this disorder.

The paper has also provided a brief overview of the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of this treatment method. Cognitive therapy remains one of the most effective treatment alternatives for depression and should be embraced.

References

Beck, J. (October 2006). Cognitive therapy shows promise for suicide prevention. American Psychological Association, 37(9): 17

Butler, A. C. & Beck, A. T. (2005). Cognitive therapy for depression. The Clinical Psychologist, 48(3): 3-5

Dobson, K. S. (November 2011). Cognitive therapy. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association

Persons, J. B., Davidson, J. & Tompkins, M. A. (October 2000). Essential components of cognitive-behavior therapy for depression. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association

Rupke, S. J., Blecke, D. & Renfrow, M. (January 2006). Cognitive Therapy for Depression. American Family Physician, 73(1): 83-86

Segal, Z. V. (November 2004). Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association

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