Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.08.2003, Page 48

■ ABSTRACTS / 27TH NORDIC PSYCHIATRIC CONGRESS
tions of the problems they are experiencing is emphasised. How-
ever, such an approach also needs to avoid the pitfalls involved in
the provision of "reassurance”, which can actually increase anxiety
in vulnerable patients.
In the workshop, participants will be introduced to the details of
how to apply the cognitive behavioural theory to treatment.
Videotape of actual therapy sessions will be used to demonstrate
key points. Such treatment aims to help patients identify and deal
with factors which provoke and maintain health concerns and to
allow them to re-engage in normal activities.
Key words: Hypochondriasis, Cognitive-behavioural therapy, health anxiety, anxiety
disorders, somatic symptoms.
S - XXI / 2 Saturday 16/8,11:00-12:30
Cognitive-behavioural approaches to the understanding
and treatment of OCD
Paul Salkovskis, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, de Crespigny
Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF
P. Salkovskis@iop. kcl. ac. uk
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a severe and disabling anxiety dis-
order, and may be more common than previously supposed. The
last 20 years has seen the development of cognitive components of
treatment. The scientific basis for this development is described.
The way in which cognitive and behavioural techniques are inte-
grated in cognitive-behavioural therapy is outlined with some clini-
cal examples. A randomised controlled trial in which such treat-
menl was applied to obsessional ruminations is presented. The im-
portant implications of this study for the issue of treatment specifi-
city are discussed.
S-XXI/3 Saturday 16/8,11:00-12:30
Cognitive group therapy of depression - a pilot study
Pétur Tyrfingsson, Psychologist, Psychiatric Departmcnt of the University Hospital,
Hringbraut, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
peturty@landspitali. is
Background: Most research on cognitive therapy of depression
focuses on individual treatment. Because of possible cost-effective-
ness it is of special interest to investigate the prospects of group the-
rapy, not least in Iceland where such research is practically non-
existent.
Aim: The aim of the study was to find out if it is possible to design,
organize and run a cognitive group therapy of depression in the
natural setting of the outpatient psychiatric clinic of the University
Hospital in Iceland.
Method: A group program for CT of depression was developed and
its efficacy tested at the psychiatric outpatient clinic of the Univer-
sity Hospital in Iceland. Practical surroundings ruled out the possi-
bility of assigning a comparison group. Ten participants were recrui-
ted among patients seeking treatment. The main condition for
participation was a diagnosis of depression according to ICD-10.
Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and Symptom Checklist 90-R
(SCL-90-R) were used to assess treatment results.
48 LæKNABLAÐIÐ / FYLGIRIT 48 2003/89
Results: Eight participants out of 10 completed the program. Pretreat-
ment mean score of participants on BDI was 24 and post-treatment
score was 12. The difference was statistically significant. Mean dif-
ference between participants scores on pre- and post-treatment scores
on SCL-90-R were statistically different on all relevant subscales.
Conclusion: The results indicate that 1) group administration of
Beck’s treatment may be of value for depressed patients, 2) that it
can be organized in Icelandic settings, 3) that insistent participation
can be elicited and patient drop-oul should not be a major problem.
It is therefore reasonable to develop further this Icelandic version
of group-CT of depression for further clinical trials and when the
time is up make it available in the outpatient psychiatric clinics in
the country and possibly in primary health care.
S - XXI / 4 Saturday, 16/8,11:00-12:30
Prevention of depression in adolescents
Eiríkur Örn Arnarson, Head of Psychological Health Services, Landspitali - Uni-
versity Hospital, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland. IH Jónsdóttir, HS Guömundsdóttir, M
Ólafsdóttir, JL Birgisdóttir, W Ed Craighead.
eirikur@landspitali.is
Background: Throughout the world, disorders of depression are
among the most prevalent psychiatric/psychological diagnoses. The
age of onset of first episode of major depression has decreased
among recent cohorts, so that the lifetime prevalence is well over
20% by late adolescence.
Aims: To prevent MDE among late adolescents by using a program
developed by the presenters. The programme is based on a cogni-
tive-behaviour therapy model of the treatment of MDE and is
developed to be used in a preventive sense for an individual who
has not yet experienced an episode of depression.
Method: The prevenlive CBT program with a group of adolescents
who are “at risk” for the development for MDE will be described.
“At risk” is defined as individuals who have never met criteria for a
MDE but who exhibit substantial symptoms of MDE and the pre-
sence of a depressive cognitive style. Students aged 14-15, in six
school districts in Iceland, were identified by the CDI and CASQ as
having significant depressive symptoms and a depressogenic cogni-
tive style, and interviewed on the CAS and found not to have had a
previous MDE. They participated in a 14-session CBT program led
by a Psychologist. Students met in a group setting at school, twice
per week, for 3 weeks and once per week for the remaining 8 weeks.
Kesults: The students’ changes on the CDI and the CASQ during
the course, at six and twelve months lollow up will be reported as
well as interview data (CAS) regarding their psychopathology and
ratings of depression and explanatory style.
Discussion: Results of the pilot studies have demonstrated the
feasibility of the programme. It has been well received by partici-
pants as reflected in a change in the predicted direction on de-
pendent variables in the experimental group.