CBT May Be New Weapon in SAD Arsenal
Abstract
CBT May Be New Weapon in SAD ArsenalJoan Arehart-Treichel By challenging negative stereotypes about winter, like the darker, colder days, those prone to depression this time of year may be able to fend it off. Even though a specific type of electric light has been found effective for treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and light boxes are widely available at affordable prices, this form of treatment does have a notable drawback. It requires sitting in front of a light box on a daily basis. An equally effective but more practical treatment for SAD may now have been found by Kelly Rohan, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at the University of Vermont, and her colleagues. It is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). A few years ago, Rohan and her colleagues designed a group CBT protocol to counter SAD. It was a modification of Aaron Beck, M.D.'s cognitive therapy for major depressive disorder. The primary treatment component of Beck's therapy, namely the cognitive restructuring of negative automatic thoughts and core beliefs, was framed in ways to help patients cope with winter-specific negative thoughts. For instance, patients would use diaries to identify and track negative thoughts about, say, the oppressive darkness of