4 - (SYM 28) Positive Psychological Elements in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Japan: Focus on Strengths-based CBT

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for depression and other mental disorders. However, several challenges persist. Many individuals with depression do not receive adequate care (Kessler et al., 2007), partly because patients' perspectives may be insufficiently integrated into treatment (Cuijpers, 2011). While clinicians often prioritize symptom reduction, patients value positive emotional experiences, optimism, and self-confidence (Demyttenaere et al., 2015; Zimmerman et al., 2006). These findings highlight limitations of pathology-focused approaches and suggest integrating positive psychological perspectives into CBT.

Several positive psychology–informed interventions have been developed, including Positive CBT (Bannink, 2012) and Positive Psychotherapy (Seligman, Rashid, & Parks, 2006). More recently, interventions conceptualizing anhedonia as a dysfunction of the Positive Valence Systems within the RDoC framework have been proposed, including Positive Affect Treatment (Craske et al., 2016). In Japan, indigenous intervention programs grounded in these perspectives have also been developed, and their effectiveness has been demonstrated (Ito et al., 2019, Komazawa et al., 2021). Furthermore, Recovery-oriented Cognitive Therapy grounded in the concept of personal recovery (Beck et al., 2021) has gained significant attention in Japan.

Many of these approaches utilize patients’ strengths as therapeutic resources. Strengths-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (SB-CBT; Padesky & Mooney, 2012) aims to enhance resilience by identifying strengths, constructing and applying a personal resilience model, and practicing its use. It can be implemented in a limited number of sessions and across diverse clinical contexts.

This presentation provides an overview of research trends in Japan on CBT incorporating positive psychological elements and introduces an ongoing SB-CBT study in Japan. The feasibility study targets patients with depression (planned N = 12). Outcome measures include strengths knowledge and use, depressive symptoms, resilience, positive and negative affect, intervention satisfaction, the occurrence of adverse events, dropout rates, adherence. Preliminary results indicate generally favorable outcomes in terms of effectiveness and safety, based on findings from four participants who have completed the study period to date (three females, mean age = 49.75 ± 9.22). Detailed results together with updates on this ongoing study will be presented.