Abstract
The present study evaluated a cognitive therapy for coping with and preventing depressive tendencies of undergraduates. Study 1 examined the effect of this program for reducing depressive moods and changing cognitions associated with depression. Undergraduates participated in the program for 3 weeks (N=62) or were in a no-treatment control group (N=64). The results suggested that the program was significantly effective in reducing the extent of the students' depressive moods. Furthermore, the program demonstrated a significant reduction in the reported frequency of negative automatic thoughts and the degree of depressogenic schemata. Because such cognitions have been believed to cause depressive moods, the results suggested that this program might also be effective for preventing depression. Study 2 examined some variables that might predict the effect of this program on depressive moods, including cognitive variables such as negative/positive automatic thoughts and depressive schemata, and behavioral variables, such as redressive/reformative self-control. The results indicated that the reported frequency of positive automatic thoughts measured pre-intervention predicted the effectiveness of the program.
