Cognitve Group Therapy for Depression in Adults
One of the most important developments in psychosocial approaches to emotional problems has been the success of cognitive therapy for depression. Evidence for the powerful efficacy of this approach has increased throughout the years, particularly in regard to its long-term outcome. Because it employs a variety of well specified cognitive and behavioral techniques, cognitive therapy for depression is known for its detailed structure of each session with its specific agendas. It is also know for the deliberate and obviously effective therapeutic style or interacting with the clients through a series of well thought out questions. Cognitive therapy with adult depressed clients is usually undertaken in the therapist’s office. It has most frequently been applied in a one-on-one setting. However, group cognitive therapy has also been shown to successful with many depressed outpatients. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders encounter by therapists. More than 19 million adult Americans will experience some form of depression each year. Depression has been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks, and is a frequent factor in strokes, diabetes, and cancer. Furthermore, depression is the leading cause of disabili . . .
Cognitive therapists plan strategies several steps ahead. When the group reviews the previous week’s homework assignment they may do so quickly, and the leader can draw relationships between what takes place in the meeting and what takes place at home in “the real world. This method of questioning provides a model for members to use in the future when assessing their automatic thoughts on their own when the group is not present. Behavior techniques are used to throughout the course of cognitive therapy, but are generally concentrate in the earlier stages of treatment. In the second phase of the group meetings emphasizes relapse prevention. A second phase of treatment, the schema focused phase, has been developed to deal with the deeper psychological structures that predispose clients to relapse. The meetings usually begin with short descriptions of significant events or changes that occurred since the last meeting. In the first initial session, the therapeutic goal should be to produce some sense of relief. Once the group catches on they can suggest some of these techniques to other members, or use them themselves. Second, the most effective cognitive therapists seem to be especially skilled at seeing events from their client’s perspective. Behavior techniques are especially necessary for those more severely depressed members who are passive, socially withdrawn, and unable to concentrate for extended periods of time. Basic cognitive therapy is a collaborative relationship between the group, the leader, and the other group members. Even though the vast majority of clients recover from depression, they are always vulnerable to future episodes of depression. The group leader must communicate the importance of self help homework assignments during the initial session as well. Throughout the treatment, cognitive group therapists maintain a collaborative alliance with the members of the group.
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