The comparison of cognitive distorsions among patients with depression, dysthymia, remitted depression and healthy control group

Objective: In this study, patients with major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, major depressive disorder-complete remission, and healthy individuals are compared on certain cognitive processes like dysfunctional attitudes and automatic thoughts according to Beck’s theory of depression. Methods: Sixty patients with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, 30 patients with dysthymic disorder, 30 individuals with major depressive disorder-complete remission, and 60 individuals with no diagnosis were accepted to the study. All participants were given the test battery containing Demographic Information Form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ), Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS). Results: Patients with depression and dysthymic disorder had higher scores than patients with remitted depression and controls on total DAS scores and the ‘need for approval’ subscale as well. There were no significant differences either between patients with depression and patients with dysthymic disorder or between patients with remitted depression and controls. Although depressive patients had higher scores than controls, there was no significant difference between patients with depression and patients with remitted depression on ‘perfectionistic attitudes’ subscale. Patients with depression and dysthymic disorder had higher scores than patients with remitted depression and controls on total Automatic Thoughts Questionary scores and all subscales of it as well. There were no significant differences either between patients with depression and patients with dystimic disorder or between patients with remitted depression and controls. Conclusion: Patients with remitted depression have clearly less cognitive cognitive distortions than patients with depression. In line with that finding, cognitive distor-tions of remitted patients have been found to be equalizing with controls. Exceptionally certain cognitive distortions in the concept of ‘perfectionistic attitudes’ may have been continuing in patients with remitted depression. Patients with dysthymic disorder appear to have more distortions but this finding was not found to be at a statistically significant level. [Anadolu Psikiyatri Derg 2012; 13(4.000): 250-255]