BECKS COGNITIVE THERAPY IN DEPRESSED CHRONIC-PATIENTS NONRESPONDER TO PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT

Beck's cognitive therapy in depressed chronic patients non responder to pharmacological treatment. A cognitive therapy based on Beck's model was performed on 25 depressed outpatients. Each patient followed a course of 15 sessions with the same therapist. In order to reach some factors capable to predict a possible response to this therapy an evaluation was undertaken. A clinical assessment based on DSM III-R criteria and Hamilton's scales and a cognitive and psychometric assessment. Every patient was reexamined one year after begining of the therapy. Patients could be classified in three groups. The first group still not depressed. The second group included subjects who could have suffered of short depressive episods. The third group showed an incomplete improvement. The result of therapy in these patients was not influenced by age, sere and intellectuel level. Furthermore the first group was caracterised by a higher level Hy in MMPI and the third group by higher scores Pt, D1, D4. These results are encouraging to apply cognitive therapy in chronical depressed patients resistant to pharmacological treatment.