DIMENSIONS OF COPING AND LIFE EVENTS AS PREDICTORS OF DEPRESSION FOLLOWING COGNITIVE THERAPY

Thirty-five depressed outpatients who had received cognitive therapy w ere followed up after a period of between one and four years. The pati ents completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at the beginning an d end of treatment. A variety of questionnaries, including the BDI and questionnaires assessing coping skills, life events and client satisf action, were given at follow-up in order to investigate predictors of self-report depression. Multiple regression was used to build a model of predictors of level of depression at follow-up. The only significan t predictors of BDI score were the use of specific coping techniques l earned in therapy, the focus on and venting of emotions, behavioural d isengagement, and post-treatment BDI score. The use of specific learne d coping was associated with low self-ratings of depression at follow- up, whereas the other variables were associated with high follow-up BD I scores. The implications of these findings for the maintenance of tr eatment gains were considered.