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Copyright 2006 www.stopdepressiontoday.com
Behavior Therapy
Depressed patients have changes in their behaviors, and behavior therapy attempts to alleviate depression by returning behavior patterns toward normal. This approach helps patients increase the number of normal and nondepressed behaviors so that they will receive the positive reinforcements from thoughts and feelings associated with more normal behavior patterns. Behavioral techniques are used to increase enjoyable activities, decrease or minimize the effects of unpleasant events, increase rewards for achieving goals, enhance social skills, use time more effectively and efficiently, and develop cognitive approaches similar to those used in formal cognitive therapy.
Because there are so many components of behavioral therapy of depression, it is difficult to arrive at firm conclusions about the effectiveness of behavior therapy as a whole. Nevertheless, most studies have indicated that behavior therapy of depression is superior to no treatment.
Depressed patients have changes in their behaviors, and behavior therapy attempts to alleviate depression by returning behavior patterns toward normal. This approach helps patients increase the number of normal and nondepressed behaviors so that they will receive the positive reinforcements from thoughts and feelings associated with more normal behavior patterns. Behavioral techniques are used to increase enjoyable activities, decrease or minimize the effects of unpleasant events, increase rewards for achieving goals, enhance social skills, use time more effectively and efficiently, and develop cognitive approaches similar to those used in formal cognitive therapy.
Because there are so many components of behavioral therapy of depression, it is difficult to arrive at firm conclusions about the effectiveness of behavior therapy as a whole. Nevertheless, most studies have indicated that behavior therapy of depression is superior to no treatment.