TITLE:
Effectiveness of Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness Tools in Reducing Depression and Anxiety: A Mixed Method Study
AUTHORS:
Valerie L. Alexander, B. Charles Tatum
KEYWORDS:
Depression, Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness, Therapy Tools
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.5 No.15,
October
20,
2014
ABSTRACT: Depression
and anxiety continue to be among the most common mental disorders. This study
looked at three tracks of participants diagnosed with a mood disorder. The
three tracks were Cognitive Therapy (CT), Mindfulness Training (MT), and
Treatment As Usual (TAU). All participants had been trained in CT and then
randomly separated into three groups. These three tracks were assessed at 3, 6,
and 12 months in terms of their stated level of depression (measured on the
Beck Depression Inventory) and anxiety (measured by the Beck Anxiety
Inventory). This study was a follow-up to two previous studies (Alexander et al.,
2012; Alexander &
Tatum, 2013).
In the current study, the participants reported the tools and skills they used
to manage their mood and anxiety and then the effectiveness of these tools/skills
was examined. Two tools were identified by three independent coders as the most
frequently used by the participants. Both of these tools related to thought
management (“thought records” and “thought distortions”). The two tools were
combined into a single category (“thought tools”) and the frequency of their
use was examined in relation to reductions in depression and anxiety. The
results showed that a high use of these tools was connected to a significant
reduction in reported depression. There was also a reduction in reported
anxiety, but this effect was not statistically significant. Other tools that
were reported (e.g., mood tracking, relaxation) showed no significant effects
on depression and anxiety. Future research will now focus not on reported tool
use, but rather on manipulating the incidence of tool use and determine the
direct causal path between using a thought tool and reductions in negative
moods.