Abstract
BackgroundCognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely tested and empirically supported psychological treatments for depression. Beck and other scholars established the theoretical foundations of CBT among North American populations, yet surprisingly few studies have examined central hypotheses of the cognitive model of depression among people living in non-Western regions.MethodsIn the present study, we used the alignment method to minimize measurement bias to examine several central hypotheses of the cognitive model among adults living on four continents (n = 752): North America (n = 103; female = 29.1%), Europe (n = 404; female = 36.4%), South America (n = 108; female = 18.5%), and Asia (n = 136; female = 19.9%).ResultsDepressive symptoms were positively and strongly correlated with negative automatic thoughts about self (ATQ-N), and moderately associated with dysfunctional attitudes (DAS) among people living on the four continents. Further, use of emotional suppression strategies to regulate emotion (ERQ-Suppression) was moderately and positively associated with depressive symptoms among people on all four continents, while use of cognitive-reappraisal (ERQ-Reappraisal) was not systematically associated with depressive symptoms.ConclusionsResults of this study offer preliminary cross-continental support for foundational hypotheses of the cognitive model of depression. Negative thoughts appear to be associated with depression in all regions of the world, cementing this construct as a hallmark feature of the disorder.
Highlights
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely tested and empirically supported psychological treatments for depression
We examined the relationships of depression symptoms, negative automatic thoughts, dysfunctional attitudes, and emotional suppression and cognitive reappraisal in a large crosscontinental sample of participants living on four continents and in several countries (Table 1)
Depressive symptoms were positively associated with negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional attitudes in people living on each of the four continents
Summary
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely tested and empirically supported psychological treatments for depression. Beck and other scholars established the theoretical foundations of CBT among North American populations, yet surprisingly few studies have examined central hypotheses of the cognitive model of depression among people living in non-Western regions. Depression is a highly prevalent and disabling mental health condition [1]. Latest estimates from the World Health Organization place depression as the world’s leading cause of disability [2]. There are many efficacious treatments for depression [3], including cognitive-behavioral therapy [4, 5]. Depression is a multifaceted condition, typified by behavioral, affective, cognitive, and somatic symptoms. Depression is a heterogenous disorder, and several combinations of these symptoms could be placed under the same diagnostic umbrella of depression
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