D.Litt. et Phil. / Within the South African context there seems to be no workable manual-based therapy programme for the treatment of Unipolar Major depression. The need for a workable solution is steadily increasing. This was the aim of this study; to develop a manual driven therapy programme for the treatment of Unipolar Major Depression which is a short term intervention influenced by the Cognitive Behaviourial model, with the inclusion of exercise therapy. The Cognitive Behaviourial model addresses the persons negative cognitions in a structured manner, within the framework of short term therapy. The person is encouraged to become actively involved: helplessness, worthlessness, and powerlessness, among others, are addressed. The approach towards the General Therapy Programme has partly a behaviourial component and partly a cognitive component (Williams, 1992). Past research (Kaplan, Saddock & Grebb, 1994) shows highly successful results achieved by Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Exercise therapy also addresses the physiological workings of the depressed person (Johnsgard, 1989). Short term therapy is an immediate intervention which lays claim to a higher level of therapeutic activities, along with the identification of a clear focus and the creation of time limitation. There were 34 participants, selected randomly from a population of 85 patients, at TARA, the H. Moross centrum, general practitioners and psychiatrists. Only outpatients were used. The measuring instruments used in this study, were the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Millon's Clinical Multiaxial Inventory II, and the Nowlis Mood Adjective Checklist. The participants were randomly divided into an experimental and control group. The experimental group was subject to a short term Cognitive Behaviourial Intervention, consisting of eight therapy sessions with the goal of decreasing the intensity and occurrence of Unipolar Major Depression. The results of this study, shows an effective decrease in intensity and occurrence of Unipolar Major Depression after the intervention. The influence of the therapy programme on other personality indexes has also become apparent in this study. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy practised on a short term basis, was shown to be an effective intervention, but the impact of other therapeutic models cannot be ignored.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:3252 |
| Date | 27 August 2012 |
| Creators | Van der Merwe, Ilze |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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