COMPARISON OF SPECIFIC AND NONSPECIFIC FACTORS IN A GROUP COGNITIVE THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION

Research into the efficacy of psychotherapy has often reported equival ence in treatment outcome when comparing different therapies. These fi ndings have been interpreted as evidence for what are variously termed placebo, common or nonspecific processes. We suggested that this issu e is best examined in comparison of specific and nonspecific processes in the action of a specified therapy and disorder. No comparisons of this nature have yet been reported in relation to cognitive therapy fo r depression. This study compared specific processes (automatic though ts and dysfunctional attitudes) and major common processes (satisfacti on with therapy and client evaluation of therapist) in the action of a group cognitive therapy for depression. Sixty patients suffering from major depression received a 12 week course of group cognitive therapy . Results from hierarchical regression suggested that the specific pro cesses of cognitive therapy were more associated with reduction in dep ression than common processes which contributed to the prediction of r eduction in depression via specific processes. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd.