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On second thought: Where the action is in cognitive therapy for depression

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Abstract

In this paper, we attempt to put forward an oft-ignored model for describing cognitive change during cognitive therapy for depression, while discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the three models of change described by Hollon, Evans, and DeRubeis. Along the way we point out some of the conceptual ambiguities regarding cognitive processes and contents as they have been applied in the cognitive therapy literature. We propose that short-term cognitive therapy works primarily through the teaching of compensatory skills. Our proposal is motivated, in part, by the paucity of differential effects of cognitive therapy when compared with antidepressant medications on existing cognitive measures, when at the same time there are reports of differential relapse prevention for these two treatments. In addition, we describe a set of features that a measure of compensatory skills should possess.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 3815 Walnut Street, 19104-6196, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Jacques P. Barber & Robert J. DeRubeis

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  1. Jacques P. Barber
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  2. Robert J. DeRubeis
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We gratefully acknowledge Peter Badgio, Jonathan Baron, Pam Spritzer, John Sabini, Constance Hammen, and two anonymous reviewers for comments on a draft of this article. Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by a grant from the Biomedical Research Foundation at the University of Pennsylvania to the second author.

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Barber, J.P., DeRubeis, R.J. On second thought: Where the action is in cognitive therapy for depression. Cogn Ther Res 13, 441–457 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01173905

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