Response to cognitive-behavioral therapy in depression: effects of pretreatment cognitive dysfunction and life stress.

Response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression is variable and the factors that account for differences in response are not yet well established. Level of cognitive dysfunction and the occurrence of negative life stress have been theorized as patient variables, which may account for differences in response to CBT. The relationship between response to CBT and the interaction of cognitive dysfunction with negative life events was examined in a sample of 53 depressed outpatients. Overall, there was little support for the prediction of a difference in acute outcome between patients with or without pretreatment cognitive dysfunction and negative stressors.