In a recent article in the Newark Star Ledger, J. K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter, discussed how cognitive behavioral therapy helped her to overcome a serious depression she experienced in her mid-twenties while she was a struggling writer and single mother.
Archive for May, 2008
Potter author, J. K. Rowling, helped by CBT
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008Aaron T. Beck, M.D., receives 2008 PBTA Lifetime Achievement Award
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008Dr. Aaron Beck was honored on June 4, 2008, by the Philadelphia Behavior Therapy Association (PBTA) and the Drexel University Department of Psychology’s presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award. (View PBTA announcement.)
Aaron T. Beck, M.D., receives 2008 APA Distinguished Service Award
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008Washington, D.C.: At the May 5-8, 2008, Annual Convention of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Aaron Beck was honored with an award for his distinguished service to the profession of psychiatry.
The Distinguished Service Award was presented “in recognition of your extraordinary contributions as a prominent leader in the areas of cognitive therapy and depression research, and for your dedicated commitment and work, which has improved the care of patients and ennobled the profession of psychiatry.”
Aaron T. Beck, M.D., profiled in Philadelphia Inquirer
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008Aaron T. Beck, M.D., was featured in the May 11, 2008, issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Dr. Beck’s personal life and professional achievements in the founding and development of Cognitive Therapy were highlighted.
Centers for Disease Control panel recommends CBT for Depression in older adults
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008A recent review in Preventing Chronic Disease reported that about 5% to 15% of community-dwelling older adults (60+ y.o.) suffer from depression, which results in functional impairment and is possibly associated with increased mortality rates through suicide and complications of cardiac disease. As such, it is increasingly recognized as a significant public health problem in that population.
To address this problem, a panel was convened by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, one of eight centers within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After systematically reviewing 97 studies, “the researcher-practitioner expert panel strongly recommended interventions based on the depression care management (DCM) model and recommended cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as treatment for depression in older adults.”
The report discussed strategies to implement its recommendations. It noted that many CBT practitioners work in specialty mental health settings and are not in contact with primary care or community-based programs for older adults. A further obstacle is that many older adults are reluctant to go to mental health specialists.
The panel concluded that partnerships among researchers, health care providers, and policy makers will be necessary to overcome the obstacles to the treatment of depression in older adults.
Study authors: M. Snowden, L. Steinman, J. Frederick