S45.02 - Cognitive behavioral therapy of chronic depression

Abstract

There are a few studies available about cognitive behavioural treatment of mild chronic depressive disorders (dysthymia). These studies adapted only classical elements of shortterm cbt to this special group of patients. There are only clinical impressions and some case reports for cbt with more severely chronic depressed cases. I plan to present some general ideas about chronic depression and implications for cbt intervention. Our model of an intensive form of outpatient psychotherapy with chronic major depression has ten moduls over 45 to 60 individual sessions. We only have first experiences on single case level. More sophisticated and controlled studies are planned but will not start before we have more data to evaluate effect sizes and decide about appropriate outcome measures. The presentation will lay out the few available results of published studies, describe out treatment rationale and elements (moduls), and hopes to stimulate interest in more engagement to work and to investigate chronic depression.