Het belang van een ontspannen lichaam en geest binnen cognitieve gedragstherapie

Abstract

This study examines the importance of relaxation exercises in cognitive behavioral therapy for young people with depression in the Netherlands. Data is collected by analysing 20 depression protocols using a taxonomy regarding: presence or absence of relaxation exercises, different components of relaxation exercises, recipient of the therapy, modality, mode of delivery, the dosage and the place within the treatment in which relaxation exercises start. Thereafter, existing effect studies were compared with the result of the 20 depression protocols and looked at comparison between the use of relaxation exercises and the effectiveness of the protocols. In addition, two cognitive behavioral therapists were interviewed. The results show that 65% of the protocols used relaxation exercises, usually two or more relaxation techniques are used in groups or in combination with parents, a minimum of four and a maximum of seven modalities are used and all except one protocol is given face-to-face treatment, between 8.3% and 27.2% of the total treatment time is spent on relaxation exercises and this is mainly used at the beginning of the treatment. The results indicate insufficient evidence to establish a link between relaxation exercises and the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy. However there are several indicatiosn that are promising and follow-up research is recommended. In particular, the time each protocol spends on relaxation exercises appears to affect the effectiveness of relaxation exercises as an element of cognitive behavioral therapy.