Cognitive reactivity to sad mood provocation and the prediction of depressive relapse.

Context: Episode remission in unipolar major depression, while distinguished by minimal symptom burden, can also be a period of marked sensitivity to emotional stress as well as an increased risk of relapse.

Objective: To examine whether mood-linked changes in dysfunctional thinking predict relapse in recovered patients who were depressed.

Design: In phase 1 of this study, patients with major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to receive either antidepressant medication or cognitive behavior therapy.