Psychotherapy for Depression

by Toksoz B. Karasu and Toksöz B. Karasu

The author explores three psychotherapeutic approaches to depression - psychodynamic, cognitive and interpersonal. He shows that they are conceptually different but potentially complementary.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0876686919
• ISBN13: 9780876686911
• Release Date: August 1990
• Publisher: Jason Aronson
• Length: 200 Pages

Customer Reviews

Psychotherapy for Depression

Karasu explores the current status of psychotherapy for depression, describing the three dominant psychotherapeutic approaches - psychodynamic, cognitive, and interpersonal. They are conceptually different but complimentary with regard to theory, major strategies, goals, mechanisms of change, and advantages and limitations. While cretain forms of depressive illness (e.g., bipolar mood disorder) still respond much better to somatic approaches (e.g., lithium), other types of depressive psychopathology can be successfully treated by psychological means. Karasu presents advantages and disadvantages of each of the three therapeutic approaches. Problems of a psychodynamic approach are : overuse of catharsis, pitfalls of a regressive transference, and undue priority given to individual dynamics and the dyadic relationships. Its introspective strategy encourages an inward search for solutions as an adaptive alternative to pathological reliance on external sources of esteem. Goals that transcend symptom relief can be useful to strengthen general ego capacities. A major advantage of cognitive therapy is that the therapist intervenes directly; it is used to interrupt thought patterns and actively help patients learn and practice logical alternatives. Fudamental asset of interpersonal therapy is that it addreses the broader social context of depressive risk and engages family in treatment. But in both of these approaches the highly focused aims may be too restricted, superficial, or temporary: emphasis on current problem areas or recent stresses can camouflage significant long-standing conflicts that need attention, a very direct approach may preempt patient initiative, and brief therapy can prematurely close off deeply concealed issues and allow less time for correcting diagnostic errors of overcoming resistances. No single therapy is uniformly succesful for all concomitants of the depressive disorder. The therapist must recognize the increasing diversity in the treatment armamentarium for depressive disorders, both within the therapeutic domain and outside its boundaries ( e.g., pharmacotherapy). Maximum therapeutic effectiveness necessitates not only knowledge of one's own theoretical orientation but also an appreciation of what other modalities have to offer. Karasu shows that it is crucial to take an individualixed approach to meet each depressed individual's needs, using a broad-based but selective shifting and sharing of therapeutic perspectives. --- from book's dustjacket