Psychology Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2014
Journal
International Journal of Cognitive Therapy
Volume
7
Issue
3
First Page
217
Last Page
234
URL with Digital Object Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1521/ijct.2014.7.3.217
Abstract
Randomized clinical trials suggest that cognitive therapy (CT) is comparable to antidepressant medication for the acute treatment of depression. Compelling data also indicate that CT has an added prophylactic benefit relative to pharmacotherapy (PT). The purpose of this study was to examine cognitive change in CT for depression. Participants (N = 42) met diagnostic criteria for a current major depressive episode and were randomly assigned to CT + PT or PT. Participants completed indices of depressive symptomatology, core beliefs (i.e., early maladaptive schemas), and self-attribute redundancy before and after therapy. Self-attribute redundancy was conceptualized as a form of schema organization and operationalized as the number of similar traits that permeate different aspects of self (e.g., as a partner, friend, employee). Treatment change was evident in both groups on self-reported core belief domains, with few between-group differences. Although no group differences were found on attribute redundancy at pre-treatment, there was a significant increase in positive redundancy at post-treatment favoring CT + PT. No group differences were found for negative content. These findings suggest that something about CT may uniquely impact self-representation and that CT may operate by bolstering compensatory schemas.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Citation of this paper:
This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1521/ijct.2014.7.3.217
- Citations
- Citation Indexes: 17
- Usage
- Downloads: 336
- Abstract Views: 8
- Captures
- Readers: 57