Psychologists study new way to treat depression

The standard treatments for depression do not work for millions of people who suffer from the condition. But Medical School psychologists are studying a promising new approach that may greatly improve the odds.

The UW–Madison psychologists and a growing number of others believe that an effective way to treat depression is to help people rethink what they want from life and change the ways they try to get it. The National Institute of Mental Health has funded a study to test the treatment, called “Self-System Therapy.”

“For many people, depression is linked to what we term ‘self discrepancy,’ or the difference between how we each see ourselves and how we wish we could be,” says study director Timothy Strauman, an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry. “When the gap between the actual and ideal ways we view ourselves is large, it can lead to depression.”

Strauman has helped develop the new therapy specifically for this large group of people who may be susceptible to self-discrepancy problems—those who may be characterized by perfectionism, low self-esteem, or feelings of defectiveness or vulnerability.

With the new approach, therapists take a two-pronged course of action generally involving 20 therapy sessions. They first help patients recognize and rethink their standards. Then they help patients consider the best ways to try to pursue their goals.

“Ultimately we want to help people figure out why they’re not getting what they want out of life,” Strauman says. “We want to help them gradually develop some basic skills to get those things and to get around obstacles that may be in their way.”

Self-system therapy builds upon several existing perspectives on depression, according to Strauman, who is also associate director of the UW Depression Treatment Program. It acknowledges the biological aspects of depression by recognizing that specific brain systems are involved in how people seek or avoid things that are either attractive or threatening. Because it is based on the psychology of self-discrepancy, it says that sometimes the way people evaluate themselves can lead to emotional distress. And borrowing from cognitive therapy, it challenges people to change the way they think about themselves.

“But unlike existing treatments, which usually examine the past to get to the source of depression, this approach focuses on the present and future,” says Strauman. “It helps people achieve well-being within their existing life circumstances.”

Strauman and his team are recruiting patients for the study to evaluate the effectiveness of self-system therapy. They are seeking volunteers who think they are depressed, or have been diagnosed with depression, but are not currently receiving treatment. For more information, call 263-6110.