Problem-solving therapy (PST) is one of the APS recommended treatment for depression. PST is commonly recommended for clients recovering from negative impacts of stressful events such as divorce, loss of job or death of closed ones etc. Sometimes diagnosis of acute medical illnesses such as cancer or heart disease can also cause depression and PST is effective in those cases too.
PST helps clients develop their coping skills and enhances their ability to handle upsetting life experiences.It is comparatively a short-term therapy and lasts over eight to sixteen sessions; the therapy can be conducted in both individual and group format. The therapy is incorporated in treatment based on the situation or psychological state of the patient.
Goals of Problem-solving Therapy
- To identify the stressors that cause sadness, tension and anger
- Better understanding and management of negative emotions
- Being more positive about their abilities to deal with difficult life problems
- Being more accepting of the problems that cannot be solved
- Using a planned and systematic approach to resolve stressful problems
- Being proactive in resolving problems
- Avoiding quick-fix solutions
How PST Works
During PST, the psychologist teaches/ trains the patients on a step-by-step process to solve their life problems. The aim of the treatment is to,
- identifying the cause of the depression
- recommend problem specific solution for faster recovery
- develop and implement a plan of action
- monitor the effectiveness of actions taken
- psycho-education (to teach the patient skills to better deal with depression)
- interactive problem-solving exercises
- motivational homework assignments
For more details please contact us.