COGNITIVE THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

The increase in research into psychopathology in people with intellect ual disability has recently spread to include depression. Several repo rts have appeared on the assessment of depression in the client group and there is a pressing need for research into treatment of depression in people with intellectual disability. The present paper reviews cog nitive behaviour therapy for depression and reports on its adaptation for people with intellectual disability. Two case studies of individua ls with mild intellectual disability illustrate the clinical applicati ons. All the elements of cognitive behaviour therapy for depression we re maintained and simplified. Both subjects were able to monitor their feelings of depression and subject 2 monitored the frequency of suici dal thoughts. Improvements were seen in both cases on the Zung Depress ion Inventory and daily monitoring of depressive feelings.