Lewinsohn's course for coping with depression

Among the various types of mental problems that can exist, probably one of the best known is depression.

Not in vain, it is the most frequent mental health problem along with anxiety. It is a highly disabling condition in which the subject maintains a sad state of mind and/or a loss of the ability to feel pleasure where before found it, in addition to other problems such as extreme passivity, hopelessness, insomnia or excessive sleepiness, loss of appetite and desire to do things and even suicidal thoughts.

In short, depression is a condition that generates great suffering for those who suffer from it and that is highly limiting. Fortunately, however, depression can be treated with various types of therapeutic strategies. Together with Beck's cognitive therapy, One of the best known and considered effective is the so-called Lewinsohn course for coping with depression., which we are going to talk about in this article.

The Lewinsohn Depression Coping Course: What is it?

Lewinsohn's Coping with Depression Course, also known as CAD, is one of the leading and most effective treatment programs within mood disorders of the depressive type and mainly for the

major depression (to which it is addressed).

The CAD was designed by Peter Lewinsohn as a therapy to be carried out in a group, and in which the role of the professional passes to be more of an instructor of the group in which they work and train different areas related to the suffering of the depressions. It has several versions, dedicated to different sectors of the population, in many of which it has demonstrated its effectiveness.

It is a program of a psychoeducational nature and essentially behavioral based (although it also works with cognitive elements), with a very clear and defined structure and consisting of a total of a dozen sessions, in addition to another two of support and follow-up after the actual intervention. These last two sessions would take place at one month and six months.

Main components

During the twelve main sessions of which this program consists, various relevant aspects for the treatment and prevention of major depression are worked on as we have commented. Specifically, we can find four major components.

1. Programming of pleasant activities

One of the first aspects to work on and one of the most basic and essential is to schedule pleasant activities. It is intended to generate together with the subject a series of strategies, guidelines and activities that help him to increase the proportion of positive and pleasant experiences and decrease the frequency of aversive It is sought that the person is capable of linking her emotions with her actions and that she changes the second ones in such a way that little by little she can modify the first ones.

In this sense, it is not just about literally scheduling activities that the subject can find positive and generate pleasure or at least a decrease in anhedonia or discomfort (something that is also sought), but rather In addition, it is intended to train aspects such as positive and assertive communication, time management and relaxation..

2. Social skills training

Another of the aspects dealt with in the CAD is interaction and social skills. In this sense, work will be done to facilitate communication and encourage the learning of various strategies, guidelines and skills that allow fluid interpersonal interaction. In this sense, the group application can be of great help, since it facilitates the use of role-playing games and modeling of different skills..

Aspects such as the defense of one's own rights, thoughts and positions are worked on in an assertive way, the expression of doubts, needs and opposition and various types of interaction with one or more people, usually in increasing order of difficulty. This makes it easier to reduce the discomfort that interactions can generate in those people with difficulties for them, as well as the expression and work of the own personal malaise of the depression.

3. Modification of cognitions

Despite being a psychoeducational and mainly behavioral program, the truth is that Lewinsohn's Coping with Depression course also incorporates cognitive elements. Specifically and in a similar way to Aaron Beck's cognitive therapy, the third of the fundamental aspects to be treated involves cognition modification and cognitive restructuring.

This phase is characterized by working on the beliefs and thoughts of the patients, trying to locate the main cognitive biases present in the thinking of the person with depression. In the first place, work is done to identify what the subject's thoughts are, they are proposed as hypotheses and an attempt is made to find possible thoughts and interpretations, to subsequently generate behavioral experiments in which the subject can test their beliefs.

4. Orientation and life plans

The last of the main components of Lewinsohn's course for coping with depression goes through review the main basic values ​​of the patient, her life orientation and the most significant goals and plans for the subject. It is about analyzing each of these aspects and how they come together in the subject's life, how they affect him and to what extent he is directed at them.

The presence of intermediate steps in the achievement of one's own objectives can also be observed.as well as the difficulties that may arise.

5. clinical utility

The Lewinsohn course for coping with depression is a program whose main indication is, as indicates his own name, the treatment of major depression and other disorders that occur with episodes depressive.

It is a program that has been shown to be effective through various studies., and as we have said, it is considered highly relevant when applying a treatment to depression in populations of specific sectors. It is effective in adults, children and the elderly, but it has been shown to be especially relevant when it comes to treating depression in adolescents. In this specific sector it is considered one of the most important psychological treatments for the treatment of depression in adolescents. It is also effective in adults, children and the elderly. Although it was designed to be implemented in a group setting, it is also effective in individual therapy.

Although it is focused on the treatment of depression, it is also useful not only when the disorder is already present but also in its prevention. In addition to the subject himself and especially in the case of adolescents and children, the application separately to the parents has also been found to be useful.

Bibliographic references:

• Lewisohn, P. M., Antonuccio, D. O., Steinmetz, J. L. & Teri, L. (1984). The Coping With Depression course: a psychoeducational intervention for unipolar depression. Eugene, OR: Castalia
• Lewisohn, P. M., Clarke, G. N., Hops, H. & Andrews, J. (1990). Cognitive-behavioral treatment for depressed adolescents. Behavior Therapy, 21: 385-401.
• Perez Alvarez, M. and Garcia Montes, J.M. (2001). Effective psychological treatments for depression. Psychothema, 13 (3).