Dysfunctional attitudes in depressed patients before and after clinical treatment and in normal control subjects

To evaluate the role of maladaptive thinking patterns in depression, administered the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale to 112 depressed patients before and after 3-6 weeks of treatment with antidepressants or placebo. Depressed patients had a significantly higher initial mean score than control subjects, but during treatment their score significantly decreased, and the posttreatment score of those with complete recoveries was nearly as low as the control subjects' final score. (Abstract amended)