Overview
A resource for anyone who seeks to understand or treat depression, this volume synthesizes the most current research and theory on cognitive vulnerability. Following an overview of recent developments in cognitive psychology, the authors take up several major cognitive paradigms that have particular applicability to psychopathology. Cognitive theories of depression are then presented and literature on the epidemiology, genetics, morbidity, correlates, and treatment of the disorder is reviewed. Subsequent chapters provide an in-depth look at cutting-edge vulnerability models of psychopathology, identifying the core features of such models and probing the interrelationship of risk, vulnerability, and resilience. Empirical and methodological issues relating to the study of both proximal and distal vulnerability to depression are then addressed in depth. Laying a foundation for future research into how to decrease the risk of relapse, shorten the span of depression, and reduce the social and familial costs of the disorder, this volume is important reading for researchers in clinical psychology and psychopathology and will enhance the knowledge base of a wide range of other mental health professionals as well. It serves as a valuable text for advanced courses in clinical psychology, cognitive therapy, and psychology research methods.The book contains black-and-white illustrations.
Synopsis
Recurrence of depressive episodes is not uncommon, even after successful treatment. What makes some people more vulnerable than others to this devastating disorder? Do depressive individuals have characteristic thinking and reasoning styles? By what means can cognitive antecedents to affective disorders be identified at different stages in the lifespan, and how can the risks they represent be mitigated? An important resource for anyone who seeks to understand or treat depression, this volume synthesizes the most current research and theory on cognitive vulnerability. Covering methodological, theoretical, and empirical issues, the authors review cognitive theories of depression; explicate and assess the vulnerability approach to psychopathology; and formulate an integrative view of the key proximal and distal antecedents of depression in adults.
Booknews
Describes a cognitive approach that suggests that a consideration of mental activities such as perceiving, encoding, thinking, retrieving, and reasoning is vital for determining what factors put individuals at risk for developing depression. The approach also emphasizes the learning processes that affect the cognitive variables linked to depression vulnerability, the application of sound experimental methods to the empirical study of cognition and depression, and the notion that vulnerability extends across the life span. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"Provide[s] intriguing leads to the question of what variables place patients at cognitive risk to develop depression or experience a relapse following their recovery....In their review of the empirical literature on cognitive models of vulnerability, the authors demonstrate that there is good support for a number of core premises....This volume presents a refreshing perspective on the psychology of depression." --From the Foreword by Aaron T. Beck, MD
"Three noted experts in the study of cognitive vulnerability to depression provide a comprehensive overview of theory and data in this burgeoning field. The scope of the research reviewed here is truly massive, ranging from evolutionary factors to daily hassles. This volume is indispensable for researchers, theorists, and students working in this important area." --Jackie Persons, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
"This book does the important job of bringing together, in one volume, the extensive literature on cognitive vulnerability to depression. Going beyond simply reviewing the evidence, the authors critically examine the research designs that can (and cannot) answer crucial questions in the field. A much-needed synthesis, the book provides a wealth of information for students who want to learn how best to use experimental cognitive paradigms to study important clinical questions." --Professor Mark Williams, PhD, Institute of Medical and Social Care Research, University of Wales, UK.
"Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression brings together three of the premier cognitive psychopathologists in the study of the affective disorders. They have between them provided a work that is a real tour-de-force, a work that may well become a modern classic in the area. The book provides an excellent description of the nature of cognition and its relation to depression that is both clinically sophisticated and well grounded in underlying information-processing theory. It is one of the most valuable texts on the subject that I have seen. I recommend it most enthusiastically." --Steven D. Hollon, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Vanderbilt University