Depression is a mental health condition for which individuals commonly seek treatment. However, depressive episodes often resolve on their own, even without treatment. One evolutionary perspective, the analytical rumination hypothesis (ARH), suggests that depression occurs in response to complex problems. According to this perspective, depressive symptoms promote analytical rumination, i.e., distraction-resistant thoughts about the causes of problems [causal analysis (CA)] and how they can be solved [problem-solving analysis (PSA)]. By helping individuals solve complex problems, analytical rumination may contribute to remission from depression. The aim of this study was to investigate (1) whether clinically-depressed individuals have more complex problems and engage in more CA and PSA than non-depressed and (2) the effects of CA and PSA on decreases in problem complexity, depressive symptoms, and remission from the depression. Samples of 85 patients were treated for depression with antidepressants and psychotherapy, and 49 healthy subjects were assessed three times over a 4-month period (at Weeks 1, 5, and 16). At each assessment, they completed measures of depression, analytical rumination, and problem complexity. Depressed individuals reported having more complex problems and engaging in more CA than non-depressed participants. The two groups engaged in a similar degree of PSA. Findings from a multiple regression suggested that more PSA at Week 1 was related to a decrease in depressive symptoms at Week 5, even after controlling for baseline depression, problem number, and complexity. PSA at Week 1 did not predict the remission after hospitalization or at follow-up; however, having less complex problems at the baseline made it more likely that a patient would later remit. Engaging in more CA or PSA at Week 1 did not affect perceived problem complexity at Week 5 or at follow-up. However, these findings were not statistically significant when influential observations (or outliers) were included in the analysis. Our findings suggest that PSA may contribute to a decrease in symptoms of depression over time. However, alleviations in problem complexity and remission might only be achieved if problems are initially less complex. Future directions involve exploring how PSA might contribute to decreases in depressive symptoms and other mechanisms underlying remission from depression.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- MeSH
- biologická evoluce MeSH
- chování a mechanismy chování MeSH
- depresivní poruchy klasifikace MeSH
- Diagnostický a statistický manuál mentálních poruch MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mezinárodní klasifikace nemocí MeSH
- postoj ke smrti MeSH
- psychologická teorie MeSH
- smrt MeSH
- zármutek MeSH
- ztráta blízké osoby MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Deprese je jednou z nejčastějších a nejzávažnějších psychiatrických poruch. Nejen ve světě, ale i v České republice je při léčbě deprese systematická psychoterapie z různých důvodů často nedostupná či využívána v poměrně malém měřítku. V tomto přehledovém článku představujeme jednoduchou terapeutickou intervenci, Expresivní psaní, která má dle výsledků studií pozitivní vliv také při léčbě deprese, a je možné ji využívat jako nástroj k zintenzivnění probíhající psychoterapie, či jako určitou formu domácí terapie. Kromě studií dokládajících efektivitu Expresivního psaní jsou v předloženém článku představeny také teorie zabývající se mechanismy jeho účinku v terapii deprese, doporučení pro klinickou praxi a možné limitace této intervence.
Depression is one of the most common and disabling psychiatric disorders. Systematic psychotherapy for treatment of depression is often unavailable or its application is limited, not only abroad, but also in the Czech Republic. In this review, we present a simple therapeutic intervention, Expressive Writing, which has been proved to have positive effects in the treatment of depression and which can be used as a tool to intensify ongoing psychotherapy or as a form of a self-help. In addition to the studies demonstrating the effectiveness of the Expressive Writing, the present article also provides theories of its underlying mechanisms in the treatment of depression, recommendations for clinical practice, and possible limitations of this intervention.
- MeSH
- deprese * psychologie terapie MeSH
- emoční expresivita MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- psaní MeSH
- psychoterapie metody MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakt z konference MeSH
