No abstract

When considering psychological treatments for depression, a therapist needs to be aware of some of the wider cognitive and neuropsychological difficulties experienced by his or her patient in order to tailor therapy appropriately. The depressed person may display rigid and concrete thinking, attentional problems, a tendency to bias information negatively, and experience memory difficulties. In cognitive psychology or neuropsychological terms, many of the outlined difficulties are linked to deficits in executive functioning. Executive abilities are associated with frontal lobe processes and are concerned with problem-solving, motivational, self-regulatory abilities, and interpersonal skills. This article examines the role of executive deficits in depression and suggests ways in which therapy may be adapted to accommodate for these problems.

Voluntary organisations are an integral part of community care, and the available research indicates the value of their social support role. However, surprisingly little is known about the forms and functions of this support, or the links to the formal support provided by the National Health Service (NHS), so hampering quality improvements. Therefore, a small sample of voluntary service organisations in one English county participated in a pilot study. This involved the staff and users of these organisations, and a geographically linked sample of NHS mental health professionals. Interview data indicated that the voluntary sector users and staff held similarly positive views of the appropriately varied forms and functions of the provided social support, and all participants held unusually similar and positive views of their links, although areas for improvement were suggested by both groups (e.g. links to GPs).