Cognitive predictors of symptom return following depression treatment.

This study tested whether poor cognitive change during depression treatment predicted time to return of depressive symptoms. Depressed participants (N=121) completed assessments of dysfunctional attitudes and extreme thinking (i.e., number of totally agree and totally disagree responses) during hospitalization and again after 6 months of outpatient treatment. Participants then completed monthly depression assessments for 1 year. Survival analyses for time to symptom recurrence during follow-up were conducted among participants who reported 50% improvement in their depressive symptoms and were at least partially asymptomatic at the end of treatment (n=53). Poor change in dysfunctional attitudes and poor change in extreme thinking both predicted shorter time to return of depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)