The Relationship between Depression Severity and Cognitive Errors.

Cognitive errors (CEs) are evidenced to be related to depressive thinking in major depressive disorder (Beck Et Al., 1979; Dozois & Beck, 2008). Studies using self-report questionnaires demonstrate that CEs are more prevalent in individuals with depression than in non-depressed individuals (Gupta & Kar, 2008) and that CEs are related to depression severity (Miranda & Mennin, 2007). The study discussed in this paper aimed to describe CEs in depressed patients and examined the relationship between CEs and severity of depression. Participants (N = 45) undergoing cognitive therapy were assessed for CEs and for depression at session three using the Cognitive Errors Rating System (CERS; Drapeau et al., 2008) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck et al., 1979). Participants had more negative CEs than positive, and the most prevalent cluster of CEs was selective abstraction. Participants deemed as being "high distorters" on the CERS had significantly more negative CEs, but not positive CEs, than "low distorters" despite not differing on BDI scores. Psychotherapy research and practice implications are discussed.

Changes in Cognitive Errors Over the Course of Cognitive Therapy for Depression.

Cognitive therapy (CT) aims to treat major depression symptomatology by restructuring the patients' cognitive distortions to more adaptive thinking patterns. This study examined changes in cognitive errors (CEs) as patients undergo CT for depression. Forty-five participants were assessed at early and late therapy for CEs using the Cognitive Errors Rating System (Drapeau, Perry, & Dunkley, 2008) and for depression using the Beck Depression Inventory (A. T. Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979). Although the total number of CEs did not change from early to late therapy, negative CEs significantly decreased, and positive CEs increased. Recovered participants had fewer total CEs, negative CEs, and negative overgeneralization than nonrecovered participants. Depressive symptoms were inversely related to late therapy positive CEs among the nonrecovered participants. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

Assessing Psychodynamic Conflict.

Psychodynamic psychotherapies suggest that symptomatic relief is provided, in part, with the resolution of psychic conflicts. Clinical researchers have used innovative methods to investigate such phenomenon. This article aims to review the literature on quantitative psychodynamic conflict rating scales. An electronic search of the literature was conducted to retrieve quantitative observer-rated scales used to assess conflict noting each measure's theoretical model, information source, and training and clinical experience required. Scales were also examined for levels of reliability and validity. Five quantitative observer-rated conflict scales were identified. Reliability varied from poor to excellent with each measure demonstrating good validity. However a small number of studies and limited links to current conflict theory suggest further clinical research is needed.

Interpersonal predictors of outcome following short-term group therapy for complicated grief: a replication.

The current study represented a replication of previous research, addressing measures of interpersonal relatedness as predictors of outcome for dynamically oriented, short-term group (STG) psychotherapy for patients presenting with complicated grief. In an analysis of data from a comparative trial of two forms (interpretive, supportive) of STG therapy (n = 107), Ogrodniczuk, Piper, McCallum, Joyce and Rosie reported that three distinct indices of interpersonal relatedness-quality of object relations, current social functioning and attachment insecurity-each had significant relationships with measures of treatment outcome, with attachment insecurity emerging as the strongest predictor. The current study (n = 110) was based on data from a subsequent trial of the two therapy approaches that examined the effect of group composition on outcome, by Piper, Ogrodniczuk, Joyce, Weideman and Rosie. Predictor variables and outcome factors involved in the current analyses were similar or identical to those employed by Ogrodniczuk et al., and an identical analytic strategy was followed. Only the patient's attachment insecurity emerged as a strong predictor of psychotherapy outcome, providing a replication of the key finding from the previous study. The clinical implications and limitations of the results are discussed.