Depression: Causes and Treatment

by Aaron T. Beck, Brad A. Alford

More than forty years ago, Dr. Aaron T. Beck's pioneering Depression: Causes and Treatment presented the first comprehensive account of all aspects of depression and introduced cognitive therapy to health care providers and patients struggling with one of the most common and devastating diseases of the modern age. Since that classic text first appeared, the appreciation of the multifaceted nature of mood disorders has grown, and the phenomenological and biological aspects of psychology are increasingly seen as intertwined. Taking these developments into account, Beck and his colleague Brad A. Alford have written a second edition of Depression that will help patients and caregivers understand depression as a cognitive disorder.

The new edition of Depression builds on the original research and approach of the seminal first edition, including the tests of Freud's theory that led to a new system of psychological theory and therapy, one that addresses the negative schema and automatic thoughts that can trap people in painful emotional states. Beck and Alford examine selected scientific tests and randomized controlled trials that have enhanced the cognitive approach since the time it was first introduced.

Incorporating accepted changes in the definitions and categories of the various mood disorders into its discussion, Depression addresses the treatment role of revolutionary drugs, such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in relation to cognitive approaches. Beck and Alford explore research on neurotrophic and neurogenesis theories of depression. They also report on advances in psychosocial treatment of depression, including the value of cognitive therapy in the prevention of relapse.

Genres: Psychology

678 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Aaron Temkin Beck was an American psychiatrist who was a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He is regarded as the father of cognitive therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). His pioneering methods are widely used in the treatment of clinical depression and various anxiety disorders. Beck also developed self-report measures for depression and anxiety, notably the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), which became one of the most widely used instruments for measuring the severity of depression. In 1994 he and his daughter, psychologist Judith S. Beck, founded the nonprofit Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, which provides CBT treatment and training, as well as research. Beck served as President Emeritus of the organization up until his death.
Beck was noted for his writings on psychotherapy, psychopathology, suicide, and psychometrics. He published more than 600 professional journal articles, and authored or co-authored 25 books. He was named one of the "Americans in history who shaped the face of American psychiatry", and one of the "five most influential psychotherapists of all time" by The American Psychologist in July 1989. His work at the University of Pennsylvania inspired Martin E.P. Seligman to refine his own cognitive techniques and later work on learned helplessness.

Reviews

[The Angry Lawn Gnome · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were exactly two problems I found with this work:

(1) Beck/Alford were clearly biased in favor of CBT as the best method of talk therapy for every psychological or psychiatric condition under the sun, yet at the same time attempted to present themselves as objective and neutral in what I understand are some contentious debates, both past and present. Although I freely admit my ignorance to the first-hand nature of said debates, their tone quite simply did not ring true. (The last section of the book, which describes CBT as a therapy by itself is exempted from this complaint.)

(2) This is not one for the layperson to pick up while browsing at their local library or Barnes & Noble or wherever without first realizing that this work is some very heavy lifting, indeed. Highly technical terms are sprinkled through the text, a basic knowledge of statistics is presumed, and also presumed as to what will invalidate or weaken conclusions, and what will put a hypothesis on firmer ground. As the guilty party of my (2), I can state that I muddled through the technical jargon, but am also forced to admit a knowledge of statistics that could fit inside a flea's navel. Meaning I personally had to take the authors at their word.

The authors also seemed to be going out of their way to disassociate themselves from developers of similar theories to CBT, particularly Albert Ellis. Whether this is fair or not, I honestly cannot decide. But it is there, and there as a sub-text.

Now that I've got the negatives out of the way, I can only report myself as being flabbergasted at:

(1) How well what they described generally among the depressed matches my outlook on life

(2) the behaviors that potentially arise from this outlook (and in my case actually have)

(3) the likely results of such behavior, which eerily match the actuality of the train-wreck I've managed to make of my life.

Jesus Christ on a pogo-stick, they pegged me like a butterfly collector does to the latest addition to their collection. It seemed their were pages and pages where all I was doing was mentally saying to myself "check, check, check and, and, ummm....check." I've never read anything that comes even remotely close to sort of accuracy. Quite frankly, usually it is anything but.

And based upon the above, I'm going to attempt something akin to the solutions the authors suggest. I can't see what I have to lose. I also like, but am not going to go into here, the emphasis on the here and now of CBT that virtually everyone comments on, either pro- or con-. Not that I don't think it is extremely important, just that when I next look at the text, others will have said what I think, and done so far better.

[Daniel Polansky]

An attempt to codify depression as a medical condition by the father of cognitive-behavioral psychology. Beck's attempt to define despair as a condition related to underlying inaccurate intellectual schema is far more persuasive (if perhaps less interesting and fun to write about) than any of the existential psychoanalysis that I've been reading lately.

[Omama. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real helpful, especially when it comes to CBT, which is easy to digest and a treatment guideline for the professionals. There's no comparison with Beck when it comes to Depression & Anxiety; if only new developments could be added to the 1970s researches.

[Desi]

i need this book