Integrative Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A Preliminary Investigation.

Abstract

This study is a preliminary investigation of an integrative treatment aimed at improving the efficacy of cognitive therapy (CT) for depression. The development of the treatment protocol was based on process findings, which suggested that strategies used in CT to resolve alliance ruptures may actually exacerbate problems in the therapeutic relationship. The protocol integrates, within the traditional CT treatment manual, procedures to repair alliance ruptures that are derived from or consistent with humanistic and interpersonal therapies. Although conducted by inexperienced therapists, the integrative treatment led to greater improvement than a waiting-list condition. The results also compare favorably to previous findings for CT.

The effects of cognitive behavioral therapy are not systematically falling: A revision of Johnsen and Friborg (2015).

“…This is a not-uncommon phenomenon when testing a new therapy, with the first studies showing large magnitude effects (also called the "winner's curse"). It is worth noting that some more recent studies also found large ESs of CBT (Castonguay et al, 2004;David, Szentagotai, Lupu, & Cosman, 2008;Quilty, Dozois, Lobo, Ravindran, & Bagby, 2014). Although it would be impossible to exclude with absolute certainty the possibility that year of publication might be systematically related to the effects of CBT for depression, for some outcomes in some circumstances, this is not very probable.…”

A review of empirically supported psychological therapies for mood disorders in adults

“…Castonguay and colleagues added humanistic and interpersonal strategies to standard CT to repair ruptures in the working alliance and found this integrative approach superior to a wait list control in one study [153] and superior to standard CT in a second. [154] While the approach is not wholly experiential in nature and the studies relied on relatively inexperienced graduate student therapists, these findings do suggest that humanistic and interpersonal strategies might be a useful adjunct to CT.…”

What kind of research can we realistically expect from the practitioner?

“…My practice has in turn influenced my research. Along with some of the research findings mentioned above, my experience with successful and unsuccessful cases has substantially informed the studies on integrative therapy for depression (Castonguay, Schut, Aikins, et al, 2000) and generalized anxiety disorder (Newman, Castonguay, Borkovec, & Molnar, in press) in which I am currently involved.…”