Cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapies

In this chapter we will provide a brief review of some of the major historical forces that lead to the development of the cognitive behavioral therapies. We will then define what are the common characteristics among this increasingly diverse set of interventions, and in doing so also attempt to differentiate the cognitive-behavioral therapies from related approaches to psychotherapy. We will then turn our primary focus to a description of the major models within the cognitive-behavioral paradigm, and to discussing their current empirical status. The chapter will conclude with a discussion of current issues related to the cognitive-behavioral therapies, and with predictions and suggestions for the future development of the approach

Reliability and Validity of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS): Thai Version

This study examines the Thai version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) for its psychometric properties

Do general practitioners and psychiatrists agree about defining cure from depression? The DEsCRIBE™ survey

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to document the outcome dimensions that physicians see as important in defining cure from depression. The study also aimed to analyse physicians' attitudes about depression and to find out whether they affect their prescribing practices and/or the outcome dimensions that they view as important in defining cure. METHODS: A 51-item questionnaire based on six validated scales was used to rate the importance of several depression outcome dimensions. Physicians' attitudes about depression were also assessed using the Depression Attitude Scale. Overall, 369 Belgian physicians (264 general practitioners [GPs]; 105 psychiatrists) participated in the DEsCRIBE survey. RESULTS: GPs and psychiatrists strongly agreed that functioning and depressive symptomatology were most important in defining cure; anxious and somatic symptomatology was least important. GPs and psychiatrists differed in their attitudes about depression (p <0.001). Logistic regression revealed that the attitudes of GPs - but not psychiatrists - were significantly associated with their rates of antidepressant prescription (p < 0.001) and that certain attitudes predicted which outcome dimensions were seen as important in defining cure. CONCLUSIONS: Belgian GPs and psychiatrists strongly agreed on which criteria were important in defining cure from depression but differed in their attitudes about depression. The outcome dimensions that were considered important in defining cure were influenced by physicians' attitudes - this was more pronounced in GPs than in psychiatrists