Extreme response style in recurrent and chronically depressed patients: Change with antidepressant administration and stability during continuation treatment.

Abstract

The authors examined extreme response style in recurrently and chronically depressed patients, assessing its role in therapeutic outcome. During the acute phase, outpatients with major depressive disorder (N ϭ 384) were treated with fluoxetine for 8 weeks. Remitted patients (n ϭ 132) entered a continuation phase during which their fluoxetine dose increased and they were randomly assigned to treatment with or without cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Results showed a predictive relationship between extreme response style and clinical outcome. Patients in the medication-only group showed a significant increase in the frequency of extreme responses, whereas patients receiving CBT showed no significant change. These results are consistent with recent findings suggesting that metacognitive factors may be as important as changes in thought content when treating depression.

Cognitive Vulnerability to Depressive Symptoms in College Students: A Comparison of Traditional, Weakest-Link, and Flexibility Operationalizations

“…According to these researchers, explanatory flexibility refers, at least in part, to an individual's ability to generate multiple interpretations of negative life events. According to this account, the ability to think about life stress in evenhanded rather than extreme terms may be a more important determinant of future depression than the specific thought content (Peterson et al 2008). Peterson et al (2008) contend that the flexibility approach challenges a core assumption of the cognitive theories that cognitive content is a risk factor for depression.…”

“…According to this account, the ability to think about life stress in evenhanded rather than extreme terms may be a more important determinant of future depression than the specific thought content (Peterson et al 2008). Peterson et al (2008) contend that the flexibility approach challenges a core assumption of the cognitive theories that cognitive content is a risk factor for depression. Explanatory flexibility is operationalized on the CSQ by calculating an intra-individual standard deviation for all the items on the measure.…”

Mood reactivity rather than cognitive reactivity is predictive of depressive relapse: A randomized study with 5.5-year follow-up.

“…Besides reactivity of thought content, a dichotomous "black and white" thinking style (i.e., cognitive extremity [CE]) has also been related to relapse in depression (Beevers, Keitner, Ryan, & Miller, 2003;Petersen et al, 2007;Teasdale et al, 2001). Cognitive extremity predicted relapse during continuation phase and was found to increase the risk of relapse by a factor of 2.5 (Teasdale et al, 2001).…”

Dichotomer Antwortstil im Rahmen von achtsamkeitsbasierter kognitiver Therapie

“…Die innere Konsistenz (Cronbachs α) der DAS erreicht bei depressiven Patienten sehr zufrieden stellende Werte von 0,91-0,94 [Hautzinger et al, 2005]. In Anlehnung an frühere Untersuchungen [Beevers et al, 2003;Petersen et al, 2007;Teasdale et al, 2001] Die klinische Stichprobe und die Kontrollgruppe unterschieden sich zum ersten Erhebungszeitpunkt tendenziell hinsichtlich des Ausmaßes depressiver Symptomatik (HAMD) voneinander (Patientengruppe: M = 1,4; SD = 1,9; Kontrollgruppe: M = 0,6; SD = 0,8; U = 273,5). Die ehemals depressiven Patienten wiesen vor Therapiebeginn jedoch einen signifikant höheren DAS-Summenwert auf als die Personen der Kontrollgruppe (t(58) = 3,9) (Tab.…”

“…Neben diesen methodischen Aspekten ist auch denkbar, dass dichotomen Antworten inhaltlich nicht die Relevanz zukommt, die ihnen im Rahmen kognitiver Depressionstheorien zugeschrieben wird. Allerdings sollte man in diesem Zusammenhang das Ergebnis der vorliegenden Studie im Kontext der bereits beschriebenen Untersuchungen [Beevers et al, 2003;Petersen et al, 2007;Teasdale et al, 2001] …”