On the Integration of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Depression and Positive Psychology

Abstract

Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) has received extensive empirical support as an efficacious intervention for the acute treatment of major depressive disorder and the prevention of depressive relapse. Nevertheless, many patients do not respond favorably to CBT, and the specific active ingredients of CBT remain unclear. With its emphasis on identifying and cultivating individual strengths, however, positive psychology appears to have considerable potential to enhance the efficacy of CBT and to help clarify the processes that mediate its salubrious effects. We outline existing areas of conceptual and technical overlap between CBT and positive psychology, and discuss how CBT may be extended and improved through the incorporation of positive psychological principles.