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An Empirical Assessment of REBT Models of Psychopathology and Psychological Health in the Prediction of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2017

Horea-Radu Oltean ,
Philip Hyland ,
Frédérique Vallières  and
Daniel Ovidiu David
Horea-Radu Oltean*
Affiliation:
Doctoral School ‘Evidence-based assessment and psychological interventions’, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania and The International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Philip Hyland
Affiliation:
National College of Ireland, Dublin, and Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Frédérique Vallières
Affiliation:
Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Daniel Ovidiu David
Affiliation:
The International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
*
Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Horea-Radu Oltean, The International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, Babeş-Bolyai University, No. 37, Republicii Street 37, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania. E-mail: Horea.OLTEAN@ubbonline.ubbcluj.ro
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Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to assess the validity of two models which integrate the cognitive (satisfaction with life) and affective (symptoms of anxiety and depression) aspects of subjective well-being within the framework of rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) theory; specifically REBT's theory of psychopathology and theory of psychological health. Method: 397 Irish and Northern Irish undergraduate students completed measures of rational/irrational beliefs, satisfaction with life, and anxiety/depression symptoms. Structural equation modelling techniques were used in order to test our hypothesis within a cross-sectional design. Results: REBT's theory of psychopathology (χ2 = 373.78, d.f. = 163, p < .001; comparative fit index (CFI) = .92; Tucker Lewis index (TLI) = .91; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .06 (95% CI = .05 to .07); standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = .07) and psychological health (χ2 = 371.89, d.f. = 181, p < .001; CFI = .93; TLI = .92; RMSEA = .05 (95% CI = .04 to .06); SRMR = .06) provided acceptable fit of the data. Moreover, the psychopathology model explained 34% of variance in levels of anxiety/depression, while the psychological health model explained 33% of variance. Conclusions: This study provides important findings linking the fields of clinical and positive psychology within a comprehensible framework for both researchers and clinicians. Findings are discussed in relation to the possibility of more effective interventions, incorporating and targeting not only negative outcomes, but also positive concepts within the same model.

Keywords

Rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)irrational beliefsrational beliefsanxiety and depressionsubjective well-beingpositive psychology
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 45 , Issue 6 , November 2017 , pp. 600 - 615
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2017 

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