COGNITIVE THERAPY WITH INPATIENTS

Psychotherapeutic interventions often play a major role in the treatme nt of patients who are hospitalized for depression. Much of the ''ther apeutic milieu'' of the inpatient unit includes patient participation in group psychotherapy and in one-on-one psychotherapy with staff memb ers. These interventions are designed not only to be primary treatment s for depression, but are also used to enhance patients' compliance wi th pharmacotherapy. Cognitive therapy (CT) has been adapted for use wi th inpatients and has been used as an organizing theory for the hospit al milieu in several inpatient units. Research on inpatient CT suggest s that if is a beneficial treatment that enhances continuity of care a fter discharge from the hospital. This paper describes the general pri nciples of inpatient CT, and discusses the various types of inpatient cognitive therapy units (CTUs) that have been developed. The benefits of such programs are described, and research regarding the effectivene ss of inpatient CT is discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.