Organizing Interactions in the Study of Judgmental Accuracy

Over the last two decades, an emphasis on cognitive factors in depression has contributed significantly to the psychological modeling of this disorder and to the development of effective treatments. This work has spanned basic processes of mood and cognition regulation as well as more applied work in the evaluation of psychotherapy outcome, short-term therapy delivery, and adherence to protocol. Reconciliation of cognitive models of depression with more recent experimental work, and the implications of the success of models that emphasize primarily noncognitive variables in predicting and treating depression, has yet to be fully explored. To grapple with these challenges, the Consensus Development Conference on Cognitive Models of Depression was convened to appraise the field and advise on future directions in the areas of cognitive models, cognitive assessment, cognitive vulnerability, and theoretical integration. This report describes obstacles to the continued progress of this approach for understanding affective disorders and psychological distress in general and offers specific recommendations for research strategies thought to be most productive for their resolution.