A pilot study of the relationship between problem‐solving skills and outcome in major depressive disorder

Three methods of assessing problem‐solving skills are described in the literature: questionnaires, self‐report inventories and verbal assessment of the resolution of problem scenarios. These three approacheswere used to assess problem‐solving ability in a sample of 20 patients with unipolar major depressive disorder, who were treated with antidepressant medication alone at a hospital out‐patient clinic. It was found that baseline deficits in problem‐solving skills were significantly associated with prognosis at 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐up. Self‐ratings of perceived self‐control and confidence rather than subjective problem‐solving effectiveness were important predictors of final outcome. Differences in perceived and actual problem‐solving ability emerged over time. The reasons for these differences in subjective and observer assessments are unclear. The data appear to demonstrate that problem‐solving deficits in depression represent both state and trait phenomena

Antidepressant · Antidepressant medication · Anxiety · Cognition · Depression (economics) · Developmental psychology · Major depressive disorder · Outcome (game theory) · Psychiatry · Trait · Clinical Psychology · Cognitive Abilities and Testing · Mental Health Research Topics · Problem Solving Skills Development · Psychology

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