The Psychological Treatment of Depression

Over the past decade, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has become established as an effective treatment for clinical depression. Research studies throughout the world have found that CBT is as effective as the best anti-depressant drugs in the short term, and that it has longer-lasting effects than medication. The Psychological Treatment of Depression describes the wide range of cognitive behavioural techniques in great detail, enabling therapists to put them into practical use. The author draws together assessment and treatment techniques of proven efficacy, describing them in usable detail, and setting them in the context of current psychological theories of depression. Some of these techniques are suitable for outpatient or primary care work, others for in-patients who may have been severely depressed for a long time. Some techniques lend themselves to long-term strategies, others to brief therapy interventions. In all cases, the techniques are explored in sufficient detail that practitioners new to CBT can feel confident about using them and that those already using CBT can update their skills. The final chapters discuss recent advances in research on vulnerability to depression and recent theories about what processes underlie successful therapy. Basic and clear, with explicit case studies, sample dialogues, checklists, and other helpful aids, the book is a splendid working manual, a field guide for all mental health practitioners in any discipline who want to apply or incorporate the successful methods of CBT into their work with depressed patients.