Tps. Oei et Lm. Sullivan, Cognitive changes following recovery from depression in a group cognitive-behaviour therapy program, AUST NZ J P, 33(3), 1999, pp. 407-415
Objective: We report on the changes in cognitions as a result of cognitive-
behaviour therapy (CBT), in 35 recovered and 32 non-recovered mood disorder
ed patients who had undergone a 12-week group CBT program for depression.
Method: An end-of-therapy cut-off score of 10 on the BDI was used to define
recovered and non-recovered patients. ANOVA analyses were conducted to exp
lore possible main effects of recovery status and time on various clinical
measures, including cognitions and activity levels.
Results: Mean mood and activity self-rating measures were significantly hig
her for the recovered as compared to the non-recovered patients over the co
urse of the program. Similarly, scores on the Automatic Thoughts Questionna
ire (ATQ) for recovered patients were within the non-clinical range, in con
trast to their non-recovered counterparts. In addition, recovered patients
improved significantly in their Hopelessness scores, and there was a change
in the expected direction in their Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale scores, a
lthough this was not significant.
Conclusion: These results are consistent with the proposition of cognitive
theory (i.e. the remediation of negative cognition plays a significant role
in recovery from depression during CBT).