Major Depression: Case Study Investigation

CBT also fails to recognise the impact of situations or experiences that are out of the control of the individual and places total responsibility on the individual. Further, research has shown that although CBT is superior in treating anxiety and depression it does so only by reducing/eliminating symptoms and does little to increase well-being, however with a renewed emphasis incorporating symptom reduction and increased quality of life this appears to be changing (Oei & McAlinden,

Research has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be as successful as medicine in treating many types of depression and other mental health disorders it can be completed in a relatively short time compared with other talking therapies and because it is highly structured, CBT can be provided in a number of different formats such as through computer programs, groups and self-help books. Some research suggests that CBT may be better than antidepressants at preventing the return of depression. It is thought to be one of the most effective treatments for anxiety and depression.

In addition, CBT is effective because it has the capacity to treat a wide variety of psychological disorders. Among adults, it has been proven effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse/dependence, common marital problems and diet disorders. To conduct CBT within older individuals, it is important to assess cognitive capacity, evaluate whether a patient has sufficient memory function and cognitive processing skills. A brief cognitive screen such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment is effective to assess early problems with executive functioning. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is another recommended screen for severity of depressive symptoms.

Over the course of my career I have been trained in interventions from various theoretical orientations, with particular emphasis on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I always find myself gravitating to the structure of CBT, which in order to be effective, requires collaboration between the provider and patient to identify maladaptive patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors within the context of the individual’s environment. The CBT approach has a wide array of carefully constructed exercises, in addition to various protocols, to help clients evaluate and change their thoughts and behaviors.

At the same time, therapist who practice CBT aim to help their patient change pattern of behavior that come form dysfunctional thinking (O’Brien, & Susan Hussey,

According to the book, CBT has four phases of treatment, which are increasing pleasurable activities, challenging automatic thoughts, identifying negative thoughts, and changing thoughts. For the first phase, clinicians will encourage the patient to identify and engage in activities, such as taking walks, which are enjoyable to their patient. For the second phase, the clinician will teach their patient about what negative thoughts can do to them and how the patient can challenge those negative thoughts. For the third phase, once the client is able to identify the negative thoughts, the clinician can help the patient identify how the negative thoughts are causing depressive symptoms to occur. For the fourth phase, the clinician will help their patient to challenge the negative thoughts and replace them with positive

Computerized cognitive-bias modification (CBM-I) has swiftly made a presence in experimental medicine, but according to Williams, Mackenzie, Blackwell, Holmes, and Andrews (2013), has not been previously explored in combination with Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) for effectiveness in treating depression. The authors recognized the benefits of creating more accessible and affordable methods of treatment for depression and the use of internet based approaches can be an effective way to provide access to evidence-based therapies (Williams, et al., 2013). This paper will provide an overview of CBM-I and how it can complement the use of

CBT is an integrated approach using various combinations of cognitive and behavioral modification interventions and techniques (Myers, 2005). The aim is to change maladaptive patterns of thinking and behaving that impact clients in the present (Weiten et al., 2009). From a cognitive behavioral perspective Jane would be diagnosed as having faulty thinking and dysfunctional behavioral issues suffering from depression, and anxiety in the form of Agoraphobia (Weiten et al., 2009).

In this essay we plan to formulate the conceptualization of treatment for Erin, a client experiencing Severe Depression. Erin, 32 year old woman, educated, bright, and independently referred herself to the psychologist through the GP practice. She was previously employed as a GP part-time though now taking time off to raise her children.

By incorporating CBT techniques, it would be important for the therapist to encourage the client to conceptualize what is causing his distress as well as identifying and challenging any irrational and negative beliefs. The therapist and the client work together to establish what goals the client would like to achieve in therapy in order change his mental state, rather than focusing on his depression in a negative manner. The ABC framework would be very helpful in conceptualizing the client’s problem by identifying the activating agent (A), the beliefs (B), and the consequences (C) that all lead to his depression. Throughout the therapeutic process, it will be important to consistently re-visit goal setting and to continue encouraging the

Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. In order to achieve this goal, the client becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns. Thus, modern CBT refers to a family of interventions that combine a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and emotion-focused techniques (Hofmann, 2011; Hofmann, Asmundson, & Beck (!)) Even though these strategies greatly emphasize cognitive factors, CBT recognizes the physiological, emotional, and behavioral components which also play a significant role in contributing to the disorder.

Major Depressive Disorder seems like an accurate diagnosis for this patient. This patient has been through a lot of things emotionally and has not sought out the help of a professional to help her deal with what has happened to her. She went from one traumatatic experience to another and had nowhere to turn for support. She went from a possible sexual assult in college, to having to stay in a psychartic ward, to now having to go through a divorce. This patient seems to be very fragile and does not even make reference to anything in the future. Those who suffer from MDD experience everything that the patient expressed from feeling hopeless, lack of appatiate, and irregular sleep patterns. As a professional after a patient trys to cope with

CBT has shown to be as useful as antidepressant medication for individuals with depression and is superior in preventing relapse. Clients receiving CBT for all depression disorders are encouraged to schedule activities in order to increase the amount of pleasure they experience. In addition, depressed patients learn how to restructure negative thought patterns in order to interpret their environment in a less biased way. CBT for Bipolar Disorder and the high-risk depressed client is used as an adjunct to medication treatment and focuses on psychoeducation about the disorder and understanding cues and triggers for relapse. The client will have more reason to gain more confidence in them. Studies indicate

The back side of CBT is not suitable for every case, especially the ones with a chronic mental disorder. For instance, schizophrenia which a long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental