Specialist Skills in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Essay Example

 Specialist Skills in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Criticizing a social research article with an aim of bringing out the negative side of such an article is no easy fete. It requires an analytical understanding of the details entailed there in and the broad understanding of other information related to that in the reference article. Moreover, it requires an open mind to maintain objectivity and remain relevant and logical in such a criticism. In criticizing an article, one should review the reference article, the existing literature, analyze the present the findings, related information, and draw reasonable criticism based on the analysis of the reference articles. This paper will entail a critical review of three research articles on skills in cognitive behavioral therapy for depression as selected in the earlier assignment. The three research articles include “Patients’ Perspective on Homework Assignments in Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy,” “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression in Older People: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression of Randomized Controlled Trials,” and “An investigation into the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on patients with chronic depression: a small case series.” Fehm & Mrose (2008) write the article “Patients’ Perspective on Homework Assignments in Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy (CBT).” The article concentrates on how patients perceive assignments given as part of their Cognitive Depression Therapy. In addition, this article intertwines homework assignments and cognitive behavioral therapy. It proves that assignments are an important part of Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy and help therapists determine the ability of their patients to apply treatment session contents into cognitive or behavioral changes in their lives. Notably, this article is not up to date as there have been many changes on the data defining the correlation of Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy and depression among old people since 2008. More so, the research article was able to establish that most patients perceive assignments positively. Nevertheless, we all know that perception to any assignment is not universally positive. Indeed, we have numerous cases where patients suffering from cognitive depression have given up hope on life. In such a situation, such patients can only decline the assignment or perceive it negatively. Moreover, such assignments are challenging to a patient and should positively apply to a person offering the therapy. Actually, the capability of a patient with cognitive depression to handle such an assignment is very low. Furthermore, patients with cognitive depression lack the motivation to do such assignments and hence no positive connection with the assignment. The article assessed the attitudes towards homework assignments of 80 outpatients and an additional 75% of those who had earlier taken up tasks in drawing its findings. The therapists analyzed the results of the study. This was not good enough, as it would bring a conflict of interest, as the therapists were the assignment givers. Moreover, the article sought the response of the therapists. The aim of the research was to gather the information relating to patients response to assignment on Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy given by the therapists. As such, the opinion of therapist was not relevant in this case and there is a likelihood of biased information from the therapist. More so, rating the response on the extent of completing the assignment may not be entirely effective as the response to the assignment usually varies from the beginning and during the assignment. Actually, the article should have sought responses from the relatives of the patients as they have direct and constant contact with the patients taking then assignment. As such, this article fails in reflecting various factors relating to attitude of assignment in relation to Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy in managing depression. The article “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression in Older People: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression of Randomized Controlled Trials” is written by Gould, et al. (2012). The article focuses on how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) applies in the treatment of depression on old people. Moreover, the article relates CBT to a depression treatment. Indeed, it pinpoints the developments in Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy in relation to identification and treatment of depression through use of Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy in the elderly people. It also provides ways of improving the efficiency of Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy in depression treatment. Most assuredly, the article is up to date. Nevertheless, the conclusion that Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy for depression in older people is more effective than being on a waiting list or TAU is a debatable fact (Gould, et al, 2012, p.1824-1826). Indeed, the cognitive ability in older people is naturally low and by extension their cognitive behavior. Additionally, cognitive ability is not universal and varies from one person to another (Dickens, n.y., p. 1-5). Hence, generalizing Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy is not logical. As such, the application of cognitive behavior in addressing depression among the old people cannot realize maximum effectiveness as portrayed in the article. Indeed, this application would have been very relevant to studying depression among children as their cognitive ability and cognitive behavior is significantly high. Most significantly, the focus of the article on the old generation is not effective in representing the effects of Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy on depression. Indeed, in the modern world, depression mostly affects the young generation. As such, it does not reflect the most likely relationship between Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy and depression among the old people as seen today. Hence, the article is not effective in addressing depression in the context of Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy. The article “An investigation into the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on patients with chronic depression: a small case series” is written by Horn (2012). The article focuses on how patients with chronic depresion disorder respond to Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP). The research article was able to establish the effectiveness of CBASP as a therapy that can help patients manage their lives. The research is up to date and links previous form of depression therapy to current one. Moreover, the article includes sufficient literature review on regarding Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy as a beneficial treatment for chronic depression. Nevertheless, the article failed in articulating the merits of antidepressants as compared to Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy in addressing the chronic depresion disorder. Indeed, had this information been available to the patients taking part in the study, the research would realize different results. Indeed, the article fails in declaring that antidepressants are more common in treating chronic depression as compared to Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy. Actually Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy is not a common method and hence the need for the research. Moreover, the artcle sughgests that Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy can significantly reduce the number of patients with suicidal intent from committing suicide. However, the article fails in asserting that not all suicides emanate from chronic depression and that there are other helath problems that relate with Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy (Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 2012, p.1). At the same time, the article seeks to define a project that took place involving a small number of patients with an aim of analyzing Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy in the management of chronic depression. Nevertheless, a small number of patients cannot reflect all the dynamics of a given experiment. Indeed, the idea of doing this research with only five patients is misinformed. This is because the small population cannot represent the different emotions and attitudes of a diverse population. Moreover, the questionnaire used in the research study had ten questions that concentrated on learning the patients’ thoughts, knowledge, and perceived benefit of the therapy. However, the questions fail to address the aspect of mixed treatment in analysing Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy. More so, the article fails to discuss emotional feelings and physical actions as they relate to Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2012, p.1). This is necessary because we can have patients mixing both methods of treatment and thus bear diverse views on Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy. In addition, focusing on chronic depression in absence of other major health comorbidities cannot draw a clear reflection of the significance of Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy in addressing depression since depression takes various forms (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2012, p.1). On the other hand, the article presents a study carried on patients with 5 years’ experience on chronic depression. Therefore the information on Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy presented in this article is historical and hence do not reflect the modern treads of Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy in relation to management of chronic depression. More so, the failure of the research to register the hospital numbers, names, or dates of birth of the patients makes it hard to reference the data and hence loosing reliability. Furthermore, the presentation of similar responses by the five patients interviewed shows lack of diversity in the results. Hence, it is hard to analyze all the dynamics of Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy in relation to chronic depression. More so, the failure of the study to prove the improvement of depression symptoms in the sample is a limitation of research as seen in this article. As such, this article fails in reflecting various factors relating to Cognitive–Behavioral Therapy and chronic depression disorder. Works Cited Dickens, W. (n.y) Cognitive Ability, Accessed 1 December 2012, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2007/5/education%20dickens/05education_dickens.pdf Fehm, L & Mrose, J. (2008) Patients’ Perspective on Homework Assignments inCognitive–Behavioural Therapy, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Volume 15, pp. 320-328. Gould, R Coulson, M & Howard, R. (2012) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression in Older People:A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression of RandomizedControlled Trials, Journal of American Geriatrics Society, 60(10), pp. 1817-1830. Horn, G. (2012) An investigation into the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on patients with chronic depression: a small case series, Psychology Research and Behavior Management, pp. 123-129. Royal College of Psychiatrists. (2012) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Accessed 1 December 2012, http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/expertadvice/treatments/cbt.aspx Weill Medical College of Cornell University. (2012) Cognitive Behavior Therapy Services at Payne Whitney, Accessed 1 December 2012, http://wo-pub2.med.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/PublicA.woa/wa/viewService?servicesID=1489&website=wmc+psych Read More