Social problem solving and depressive symptoms over time: a randomized clinical trial of cognitive-behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy, brief supportive psychotherapy, and pharmacotherapy.

Objective: Depression is associated with poor social problem solving, and psychotherapies that focus on problem-solving skills are efficacious in treating depression. We examined the associations between treatment, social problem solving, and depression in a randomized clinical trial testing the efficacy of psychotherapy augmentation for chronically depressed patients who failed to fully respond to an initial trial of pharmacotherapy (Kocsis et al., 2009).

Problem-solving therapy for depression: a meta-analysis.

Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) is a cognitive-behavioral intervention that focuses on training in adaptive problem-solving attitudes and skills. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a meta-analysis of controlled outcome studies on efficacy of PST for reducing depressive symptomatology. Based on results involving 21 independent samples, PST was found to be equally effective as other psychosocial therapies and medication treatments and significantly more effective than no treatment and support/attention control groups.

Personality, problem solving, and adolescent substance use.

The major aim of this study was to examine the role of social problem solving in the relationship between personality and substance use in adolescents. Although a number of studies have identified a relationship between personality and substance use, the precise mechanism by which this occurs is not clear. We hypothesized that problem-solving skills could be one such mechanism.

Diabetes problem-solving scale development in an adult, African American sample.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine psychometric properties of the Diabetes Problem-Solving Scale (DPSS), which was designed to assess how adults with type 2 diabetes approach and manage problems encountered in diabetes self-management.

Methods: Participants were 64 African American adults with type 2 diabetes. The 30-item DPSS and measures of social problem solving, diabetes self-management, and depressive symptoms were administered.

Integrated family and cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescent substance abusers: a stage I efficacy study.

This study evaluated the efficacy of Integrated Family and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (IFCBT), a multisystems treatment for adolescent drug abuse, versus a Drugs Harm Psychoeducation curriculum (DHPE). A randomized controlled trial assessed youth and parents at baseline and at 1, 3 and 6-month posttreatment points. Youth participants (N=43) met diagnostic criteria for one or more psychoactive substance use disorders with most youth meeting criteria for alcohol and marijuana use disorders.