Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate if future thinking would change following two forms of Internet-delivered cognitive
behavior therapy (ICBT) for major depression. A second aim was to study the association between pre-post changes in future
thinking and pre-post changes in depressive symptoms. Effects of psychological treatments are most often tested with self-report
inventories and seldom with tests of cognitive function. We included data from 47 persons diagnosed with major depression
who received either e-mail therapy or guided self-help during 8 weeks. Participants completed a future thinking task (FTT),
in which they were asked to generate positive and negative events that they thought were going to happen in the future and
rated the events in terms of emotion and likelihood. The FTT was completed before and after treatment. Data on depressive
symptoms were also collected. FTT index scores for negative events were reduced after treatment. There was no increase for
the positive events. Change scores for the FTT negative events and depression symptoms were significantly correlated. We conclude
that ICBT may lead to decreased negative future thinking and that changes in depression symptoms correlate to some extent
with reductions in negative future thinking.
behavior therapy (ICBT) for major depression. A second aim was to study the association between pre-post changes in future
thinking and pre-post changes in depressive symptoms. Effects of psychological treatments are most often tested with self-report
inventories and seldom with tests of cognitive function. We included data from 47 persons diagnosed with major depression
who received either e-mail therapy or guided self-help during 8 weeks. Participants completed a future thinking task (FTT),
in which they were asked to generate positive and negative events that they thought were going to happen in the future and
rated the events in terms of emotion and likelihood. The FTT was completed before and after treatment. Data on depressive
symptoms were also collected. FTT index scores for negative events were reduced after treatment. There was no increase for
the positive events. Change scores for the FTT negative events and depression symptoms were significantly correlated. We conclude
that ICBT may lead to decreased negative future thinking and that changes in depression symptoms correlate to some extent
with reductions in negative future thinking.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Brief Report
- Pages 1-6
- DOI 10.1007/s10608-012-9442-y
- Authors
- Gerhard Andersson, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Ali Sarkohi, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Johan Karlsson, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Jonas Bjärehed, Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Hugo Hesser, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Journal Cognitive Therapy and Research
- Online ISSN 1573-2819
- Print ISSN 0147-5916