Well-Being Therapy: Current Indications and Emerging Perspectives

Abstract

ical Interview for Depression (CID) [7] , and increases in well-being, as assessed by the Psychological Well-Being (PWB) scales [8] . However, when residual symptoms of the two groups were compared after treatment, a significant advantage of WBT over CBT was observed with the CID. WBT was also associated with a significant increase in PWB, particularly in the personal growth scale [6] . The small number of subjects suggested caution in interpreting this difference and the need for further studies with larger samples of patients with specific mood or anxiety disorders. This is why I decided to include WBT in the treatment package, together with CBT of residual symptoms and lifestyle modification, of a study concerned with patients with a severe form of recurrent depression defined as the occurrence of 3 or more episodes of unipolar depression, with the immediately preceding episode being no more than 2.5 years before the onset of the current episode [9] . Forty patients with recurrent major depression, who had been successfully treated with antidepressant drugs, were randomly assigned to either this package including WBT or clinical management. In clinical management the same number of sessions that was used in the experimental condition was given. Clinical management consisted of reviewing the clinical status of the patient and providing the patient with support and advice, if necessary. In both groups, antidepressant drugs were tapered and discontinued. The In the 1990s, as other investigators, I was particularly concerned about the high risk of relapse in depression and its link with residual symptomatology [1] . It was not easy to make the patients better, but it was even more difficult to keep them well. My co-workers and I had performed a small controlled study on the effects of addressing residual symptomatology with cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) in reducing relapse rates. Compared with a control condition, there were significant differences after 4 years [2] , but not after 6 years [3] . I felt that what I had introduced (a sequential strategy: first treatment with antidepressant drugs and then CBT of residual symptoms) was good, but it was not sufficient. I was looking for a psychotherapeutic strategy that could increase the level of recovery. This was the setting where I developed a psychotherapeutic technique for increasing psychological well-being, well-being therapy (WBT) [4] . Since CBT of residual symptoms of depression was found to be more effective than clinical management [5] , I thought that comparing the two strategies (CBT and WBT) could be the first step. Twenty patients with mood and anxiety disorders who had been successfully treated by behavioral (anxiety disorders) or pharmacological (mood disorders) methods were randomly assigned to either WBT or CBT of residual symptoms [6] . Both WBT and CBT were associated with a significant reduction of residual symptoms, as measured by the ClinReceived: December 18, 2015 Accepted after revision: January 17, 2016 Published online: April 5, 2016