The Type Of Aspirations That Make People Depressed (M)
Thinking over-and-over again about failed aspirations is psychological distressing.
Category: Depression
Depression And Anxiety Are NOT Mental Disorders (M)
The symptoms of depression and anxiety can only be reduced by dealing with the ‘psychic pain’ of adversity.
The Best Hobbies To Prevent Depression (M)
Pursuing hobbies increases the chance of a depressed person recovering by 272 percent.
The Best New Depression Therapy Is Quicker Than CBT
The depression therapy is quicker and more effective than CBT.
The depression therapy is quicker and more effective than CBT.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is often seen as the gold standard for treating depression.
However, a new study has found that ‘metacognitive therapy’ has a better outcome and is quicker.
Three-quarters of patients with depression recovered after being given metacognitive therapy in comparison to only half given CBT.
Metacognitive therapy involves targeting basic thinking processes.
It focuses on how people think, in contrast to CBT which concentrates on the content of thoughts.
A simple example of metacognition is realising one is prone to repetitive thinking of depressive thoughts — what psychologists call rumination.
Metacognitive therapy is about learning to deal with rumination more effectively.
One strategy is learning that thoughts are just thoughts and do not reflect reality.
Like any thoughts, they can be allowed to float away without causing distress.
Professor Adrian Wells, the study’s author, said:
“CBT has been the therapy of choice for many years in treating patients with major depression — with varying degrees of success.
We don’t know for sure why MCT might be more effective, but it is a method that has a solid scientific basis, grounded in the latest cognitive psychology.
We’re very excited about the results.
The focus of the two treatments is different: MCT aims to change basic mental regulation processes that have become biased, whilst CBT aims to modify thought content and is based much more on clinical observation.”
The study included 174 people with major depression, 85 of whom received metacognitive therapy and 89 received CBT.
Six months after the therapy, 74 percent of patients receiving metacognitive therapy had recovered, compared with just 52 percent of those receiving CBT.
Metacognitive therapy was also quicker, taking an average of 5.5 sessions compared to 6.7 for CBT.
Professor Wells, who co-developed the therapy, thinks it has a bright future:
“We think MCT may cost less than CBT but no formal analyses have been run on this to date.
However MCT appears to give results more quickly so fewer sessions may be required.
We do think MCT may be easier to use because it has a core set of principles that can be applied to many types of disorders and does not depend on reality-testing of different negative thoughts.
Instead it helps patients to reduce the process of repetitive negative thinking and worrying.”
The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology (Wells, 2020).
The Most Natural Way To Reduce Depression (M)
The natural activities that give the biggest boost to mood.
The Treatment That Lifts Severe Depression In 3 Days (M)
The technique works for people who do not respond to other depression treatments.
How Self-Blame Can Lead To Depression (M)
Self-blame plays an important role in the development of depression.
How Artificial Intelligence Helps Treat Depression (M)
Antidepressant use has increased by 65 percent in 15 years, but the treatment is hit-and-miss.
Depression: How To Avoid Self-Medicating With Alcohol (M)
Does drinking cause depression or depression cause drinking?
Smoking This Causes Depression And Schizophrenia (M)
The most obvious symptom of bipolar disorder is very severe mood swings; it is a condition of extreme emotional states.
