Cognitive changes following recovery from depression in a group cognitive-behaviour therapy program

Objective: We report on the changes in cognitions as a result of cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT), in 35 recovered and 32 non-recovered mood disordered 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 explore 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 higher for the recovered as compared to the non-recovered patients over the course of the program. Similarly, scores on the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ) for recovered patients were within the non-clinical range, in contrast 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, although 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).