COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOR THERAPY FOR OLDER ADULTS
Abstract
The basic premise of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is that depression is mediated by depressogenic patterns of thinking. Research with a general adult population has not consistently supported the proposed mediational effect of depressogenic thinking ( ), as measured by the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS; ). Our research suggests that the mediational effect of the DAS is even weaker with an older adult population. Proposed reasons for this age difference include a greater effect of the “common factors” of psychotherapy ( ) and an increased need to specifically treat hopelessness in older adults.