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Gender in cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) for outcome for depression has been inadequately examined in previous research. Thirty-five men and 55 women diagnosed with a depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) completed individual CBT at an outpatient community mental health clinic and 56 men and 105 women completed group CBT. Depression severity was measured before treatment and at endpoint using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996) along with secondary outcomes of anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory; Beck, Epstein, Brown, & Steer, 1988) and quality of life (Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire; Endicott, Nee, Harrison, & Blumenthal, 1993). Men and women demonstrated equivalent pretreatment and posttreatment illness severity, a comparable gradient of improvement on outcomes, and attainment of clinically meaningful benchmarks. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 64:1–15, 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that psychiatric patients have significantly impaired quality of life (QOL) in comparison to community samples who are not suffering a mental illness. Despite an increase in research in the mental health field, there still remains little consensus as to the merit of using such questionnaires within a mental health population. There is a concern that QOL is redundant with affective state and symptomatology. We investigated the usefulness of the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-short form (QLESQ-SF) in a depressed outpatient sample receiving time-limited, standardized group cognitive–behavioural therapy. QLESQ-SF ratings were examined at admission and 10-week endpoint in an intention-to-treat (N = 212) and completers (N = 164) sample. QLESQ-SF ratings and symptom ratings (Beck Depression Inventory-II; Beck Anxiety Inventory) improved significantly over time. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, although affective state and change in symptomatology were significantly correlated with QOL and change in QOL, a large proportion of variance was unexplained. These results are inconsistent with the theory of measurement redundancy. QOL appears to be a useful measure that provides additional treatment outcome information distinct from affective state and symptomatology. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the continuing development of effective cognitive and behavioural interventions for Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) less attention has been paid to the important issue of improving treatment accessibility and affordability. Self-management approaches that utilise the convenience of the Internet may provide a means by which more people can avail themselves of effective treatments. To date, studies examining the effectiveness of such approaches for GAD lag behind the work conducted with other clinical problems. This study describes the response of three individuals with a primary diagnosis of GAD to an Internet-based treatment completed at their own pace. The intervention (‘What? Me Worry!?!; Saulsman, Nathan, Lim, and Correia, 2005) combines several cognitive and behavioural components with the inclusion of a significant metacognitive component. All participants achieved clinically significant improvement on measures of worry, GAD symptomatology, and metacognitions. Moreover, none of the participants met the diagnostic criteria for GAD at the completion of the study. A larger randomised controlled trial of this intervention is indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the association of depressive personality traits to treatment outcome for depression. One hundred and nineteen patients with a primary diagnosis of major depression were divided into high- and low-depressive personality groups, and depression symptomatology was assessed pre- and postparticipation in a standardized group cognitive–behavioral intervention. Analyses revealed poorer pre-state and end-state functioning for the high-depressive personality group. However, rate of improvement pre- to posttreatment was comparable between the two groups. Subsequent multiple regression analyses revealed that when controlling for pretreatment depression severity, depressive personality was not a predictor of depression treatment outcome. Within the methodological parameters of the current study, depressive personality traits were not associated with a poorer response to cognitive–behavioral treatment for depression. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 62: 1181–1196, 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic process that serves to maintain emotional disorders. Metacognitive theory suggests that positive and negative metacognitive beliefs guide the selection of RNT as a coping strategy which, in turn, increases psychological distress. The aim of this study was to test the indirect effect of metacognitive beliefs on psychological distress via RNT. Patients ( N = 52) with primary and non-primary generalized anxiety disorder attended a brief, six-week group metacognitive therapy program and completed measures of metacognitive beliefs, RNT, and symptoms at the first and final treatment sessions, and at a one-month follow-up. Prospective indirect effects models found that negative metacognitive beliefs (but not positive metacognitive beliefs) had a significant indirect effect on psychological distress via RNT. As predicted by metacognitive theory, targeting negative metacognitions in treatment appears to reduce RNT and, in turn, emotional distress. Further research using alternative measures at multiple time points during therapy is required to determine whether the absence of a relationship with positive metacognitive beliefs in this study was a consequence of (a) psychometric issues, (b) these beliefs only being relevant to a subgroup of patients, or (c) a lack of awareness early in treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality of life (QOL) is the degree of enjoyment and satisfaction experienced in life, and embraces emotional well-being, physical health, economic and living circumstances, and work satisfaction. QOL recovery with eating disorder treatment has received sparse attention, and until now, no study has investigated QOL recovery with enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT-E). Patients ( n = 196) admitted to a specialist eating disorders outpatient programme and receiving CBT-E completed measures of QOL, eating disorder psychopathology, depression, anxiety and self-esteem, before and after treatment. QOL at intake was compared with community norms, and QOL below the norm was predicted from sociodemographic and clinical correlates with logistic regression. Baseline QOL below the norm was associated with depression and anxiety Axis I comorbidity, and severity of depressive symptoms. Predictors of post-treatment QOL were baseline QOL and level of depressive symptoms and self-esteem at post-treatment. CBT-E was associated with gains in QOL over the course of treatment, in addition to eating disorder symptom relief. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study examined the role of perfectionism (self-oriented and socially prescribed), shape and weight overvaluation, dichotomous thinking, and conditional goal setting in eating disorder psychopathology. Perfectionism and shape and weight overvaluation have had longstanding implication in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. A leading evidence-based theory of eating disorders (Fairburn, Cooper & Shafran, 2003) outlines perfectionism as a maintaining mechanism of eating disorder psychopathology and as a proximal risk factor for the development of shape and weight overvaluation. These constructs have been linked to other cognitive processes relevant to eating disorders, specifically, dichotomous thinking and conditional goal setting. Women with DSM-IV eating disorders (N =238) were compared to women in the general community (N =248) and, as hypothesised, scores on measures of these constructs were pronounced in the clinical sample. Hierarchical regression analyses predicting eating disorder psychopathology showed that for both groups, dichotomous thinking and conditional goal setting significantly improved model fit beyond perfectionism and shape and weight overvaluation alone. Self-oriented perfectionism, but not socially prescribed perfectionism, was relevant to eating disorder psychopathology. We discuss the implications for current treatment protocols and early intervention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To examine mediators of the relationship between perfectionism and eating disorder (ED) psychopathology in a clinical sample. Method: Participants were 201 women with a DSM-IV diagnosed ED consecutively referred to a specialist outpatient treatment clinic. Participants completed measures of perfectionism, ED psychopathology, shape and weight overvaluation, and conditional goal-setting (CGS). Results: Evaluation of a multivariate mediator model using Baron and Kenny’s (1986) four-step mediation methodology showed that shape and weight overvaluation and CGS significantly and uniquely mediated the relation between self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and restraint, eating concern, shape concern, and weight concern. The mediator model furthered the proportion of explained variance in outcomes beyond the direct effects model by 28–49%. Discussion: The findings support the conclusion that the relationship between SOP and ED psychopathology in women with a clinically diagnosed ED is mediated by shape and weight overvaluation and CGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a self-report measure of Conditional Goal Setting (CGS) for use among individuals with eating disorders, the Conditional Goal Setting in Eating Disorders Scale (CGS-EDS). The CGS-EDS assesses the degree to which an individual believes that the achievement of happiness is contingent upon the attainment of body shape and weight goals. Women with a DSM-IV diagnosed eating disorder consecutively referred to a specialist outpatient clinic (N =238) completed the CGS-EDS and self-report measures of theoretically related constructs. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a one-factor solution, which accounted for 65% of the variance. The CGS-EDS correlated positively with theoretically related measures of overvaluation of shape and weight, concern with shape and weight, dichotomous thinking, and depression. The alpha reliability of the scale was .92. The CGS-EDS is a valid and reliable measure of CGS in eating disorders and is relevant to cognitive and behavioral models of maintenance and intervention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Dichotomous Thinking in Eating Disorders Scale (DTEDS) is a short, self-report measure that can be used to assess the presence of a rigid, “black-and-white” cognitive thinking style. It was originally developed for use in a study of psychological predictors of weight regain in obesity. The DTEDS consists of two subscales. Items on the Eating subscale assess dichotomous thinking with regards to eating, dieting or weight, and items on the General subscale assess dichotomous thinking more generally. This study aimed to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the DTEDS in a sample of treatment-seeking eating disordered (N =87) and overweight/obese (N =111) women. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that a two-factor model provided a better fit to the data than a one-factor model. The psychometric properties of the final scale were excellent, with evidence being provided for the reliability and validity of the two subscales. Overall, the results indicated that the DTEDS is a reliable instrument that can be used to assess eating-specific as well as more general aspects of dichotomous thinking. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]