LE3 .A278 2014

2014

Horvath, Peter

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

Psychology

Psychology

The effects of a physical thought treatment on cognition and mood were tested in a small group of depressed outpatients (N = 12). Negative thoughts were disposed of and positive thoughts were protected over a two week period and changes in depressive symptoms, negative automatic thoughts, positive automatic thoughts, dysfunctional attitudes, and happiness were measured. Additionally, a mediational model for cognitive factors was tested on these measurements (N = 16). The intervention was shown to significantly improve depressive symptoms during the treatment phase compared to a two week waiting phase. A strong upward trend was also observed in participants’ level of happiness. No significant changes occurred in positive or negative cognitions. Results of the mediational analysis suggest that state of mind (i.e., the balance of positive and negative thoughts) may explain the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and depression better than negative thoughts alone. The implications for these findings on cognitive models of depression and possible clinical applications are discussed.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1154