Abstract
Depression and anxiety continue to be among the most common mental disorders. This study looked at three tracks of participants diagnosed with a mood disorder. The three tracks were Cognitive Therapy (CT), Mindfulness Training (MT), and Treatment As Usual (TAU). All participants had been trained in CT and then randomly separated into three groups. These three tracks were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months in terms of their stated level of depression (measured on the Beck Depression Inventory) and anxiety (measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory). This study was a follow-up to two previous studies (Alexander et al., 2012; Alexander & Tatum, 2013). In the current study, the participants reported the tools and skills they used to manage their mood and anxiety and then the effectiveness of these tools/skills was examined. Two tools were identified by three independent coders as the most frequently used by the participants. Both of these tools related to thought management (“thought records” and “thought distortions”). The two tools were combined into a single category (“thought tools”) and the frequency of their use was examined in relation to reductions in depression and anxiety. The results showed that a high use of these tools was connected to a significant reduction in reported depression. There was also a reduction in reported anxiety, but this effect was not statistically significant. Other tools that were reported (e.g., mood tracking, relaxation) showed no significant effects on depression and anxiety. Future research will now focus not on reported tool use, but rather on manipulating the incidence of tool use and determine the direct causal path between using a thought tool and reductions in negative moods.
Highlights
Depression and anxiety are worldwide health problems
Skills are taught with the supposition that if they acquire, comprehend, and practice these skills, they will have a reduction in symptoms
We performed an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with the average depression (BDI) for month three as the dependent variable and the pretest for anxiety (BAI) as the covariate. (We did not analyze the 6 and 12 month Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) because attrition reduced the sample sizes and the data became unstable.) We performed another ANCOVA with the average anxiety (BAI) for month three as the dependent variable and the pretest depression (BDI) as the covariate
Summary
Depression and anxiety are worldwide health problems. Recent statistics from the World Health Organization (2012) place depression as the leading cause of disability worldwide and affecting 350 million people of all ages and refers to depression and anxiety as two of the most prevalent non-communicable disorders. Studies on depression identify this mental disorder as treatable and research on Cognitive Therapy (CT) reveals a reduction in relapse and reoccurrence (Bockting et al, 2005; Fava, Grandi, Zielezny, Canestari, & Morphy, 1996; Jarrett et al, 2001; Paykel et al, 1999). Patients are taught CT skills, there are few measures available that assess how these tools promote cognitive and behavioral change. One group of researchers (Jarrett, Vittengl, Clark, & Thase, 2011) developed their own measure to assess patients understanding and use of CT skills. Their findings supported their hypothesis that CT skills acquisition predicted a reduction in depressive symptoms
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