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Depression, low self-esteem and mindfulness.
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, OX3 7JX, UK. melanie.fennell@psych.ox.ac.uk
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|August 25, 2004
Summary
Negative self-processing is key in depression. Metacognitive awareness, recognizing thoughts as mental events, may encourage therapy engagement for both mood-related and enduring self-esteem issues.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Background:
- Negative self-processing is a core feature in depression.
- Distinguishing between mood-state-related negative thinking and low self-esteem can be challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of metacognitive awareness in depression.
- To investigate metacognitive awareness as a precursor to therapy engagement.
- To consider cognitive therapy techniques for enhancing metacognitive awareness.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical exploration and speculation.
- Review of existing literature on depression and cognitive therapy.
- Conceptual analysis of metacognitive awareness.
Main Results:
- Metacognitive awareness may be crucial for patients to actively engage in therapy.
- This applies to patients whose negative self-views are linked to current mood and those with chronic low self-esteem.
Conclusions:
- Enhancing metacognitive awareness is a potential therapeutic target in depression.
- Cognitive therapy may offer methods to foster this awareness, improving treatment outcomes.