Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T03:44:12.787Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mending a broken heart: a single case study on cognitive behavioural therapy for depression after romantic relationship break-up

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2020

Muthmainah Mufidah Gozan Open the ORCID record for Muthmainah Mufidah Gozan [Opens in a new window]  and
Adhityawarman Menaldi Open the ORCID record for Adhityawarman Menaldi [Opens in a new window]
Muthmainah Mufidah Gozan*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
Adhityawarman Menaldi
Affiliation:
Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: muthmainah.mufidah81@ui.ac.id
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Having and building a romantic relationship is an important aspect of development in young adulthood. However, there are some challenges in relationships, including basic principle differences such as faith and culture that lead to fights and break-ups. Going through a break-up is not easy for some people and is considered to be one of the stress sources in people’s lives that often links to depression symptoms. It is crucial to focus on intervention aiming at the cognitive aspects, including negative thoughts and bias when dealing with depression, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). However, CBT in the Indonesian context, especially with religious and ethnic problems in a romantic relationship before marriage, is limited. This study aims to explore this by presenting the case of a 26-year-old Indonesian male with depressive episodes after a painful break-up due to religious and cultural differences. The previous history of childhood abuse and problems in social adjustment and communication had also worsened his conditions. CBT was used for treatment as he developed many negative thoughts about himself and had maladaptive beliefs about his conditions and his future. This case study report shows the effectiveness of CBT intervention in decreasing depression symptoms, such as sadness and the thought of being unworthy, as well as increasing self-confidence in facing difficulties.

Key learning aims

  1. (1) To understand delivering CBT in a single case with mild depression triggered by relationship break-up.

  2. (2) To understand the applicability of CBT in the Indonesian context with a cultural and religious background.

  3. (3) To reflect on the challenges faced and treatment strategies in implementing an adapted CBT technique.

Keywords

break-upcognitive behavioural therapydepressionromantic relationshipyoung adults
Type
Case Study
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 13 , 2020 , e55
Copyright
© British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Further Reading

Boelen, P. A., & Reijntjes, A. (2009). Negative cognitions in emotional problems following romantic relationship break-ups. Stress and Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 25, 11–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cuijpers, P., Berking, M., Andersson, G., Quigley, L., Kleiboer, A., & Dobson, K. S. (2013). A meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioral therapy for adult depression, alone and in comparison with other treatments. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 58, 376–385.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Muñoz, R. F., Miranda, J., & Aguilar-Gaxiola, S. (2000). Individual Therapy Manual for Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Depression. Santa Monica, CA, USA: Rand.Google Scholar

References

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Publishing.Google Scholar
Bątkiewicz, S. (2010). Cultural Prerequisites of Acronyms in Indonesia. Doctoral dissertation, Adam Mickiewicz University, Polandia.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. S. et al. (1979). The Cognitive Therapy of Depression. New York, USA: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Boelen, P. A., & Reijntjes, A. (2009). Negative cognitions in emotional problems following romantic relationship break-ups. Stress and Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 25, 11–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butler, A., Chapman, J., Forman, E. & Beck, A. (2006). The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology Review, 36, 17–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creasey, G., & Hesson-McInnis, M. (2001). Affective responses, cognitive appraisals, and conflict tactics in late adolescent romantic relationships: associations with attachment orientations. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 48, 85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crisi, A., & Dentale, F. (2016). The Wartegg drawing completion test: inter-rater agreement and criterion validity of three new scoring categories. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 16, 83–90.Google Scholar
Cuijpers, P., Berking, M., Andersson, G., Quigley, L., Kleiboer, A., & Dobson, K. S. (2013). A meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioral therapy for adult depression, alone and in comparison with other treatments. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 58, 376–385.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Daini, S., Manzo, A., Pisani, F., & Tancredi, A. (2010). Attempted suicide: psychopathology and Wartegg Test indicators. SIS Journal of Projective Psychology & Mental Health, 17.Google Scholar
Dobson, D., & Dobson, K. S. (2018). Evidence-Based Practice of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Guilford Publications.Google Scholar
Gilbert, S. P., & Sifers, S. K. (2011). Bouncing back from a breakup: attachment, time perspective, mental health, and romantic loss. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 25, 295–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36, 427–440.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hollon, S. D., Haman, K. L., & Brown, L. L. (2002). Handbook of Depression. Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Kring, A. M., Johnson, S. L., Davison, G. C., & Neale, J. M. (2014). Abnormal Psychology (12th edn DSM-5 update). Singapore: Wiley.Google Scholar
Muñoz, R. F., Miranda, J., & Aguilar-Gaxiola, S. (2000). Individual Therapy Manual for Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Depression. Santa Monica, CA, USA: Rand.Google Scholar
Peake, E. (2000). Tradition, Christianity, and the State in Understandings of Sickness and Healing in South Nias, Indonesia. Doctoral dissertation, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.Google Scholar
Rajabi, S., & Nikpoor, N. (2018). Comparison of the effectiveness of the transactional analysis training and emotion regulation on the improvement of love trauma syndrome: dealing with the problems caused by the separation and love break up. Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 20, 17–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rhoades, G. K., Kamp Dush, C. M., Atkins, D. C., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (2011). Breaking up is hard to do: the impact of unmarried relationship dissolution on mental health and life satisfaction. Journal of Family Psychology, 25, 366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saddhono, K., & Hartarta, A. (2013). The study of type and meaning of Javanese Indonesian spell language. Asian Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 2, 51–58.Google Scholar
Verhallen, A. M., Renken, R. J., Marsman, J. B. C., & Ter Horst, G. J. (2019). Romantic relationship breakup: an experimental model to study effects of stress on depression (-like) symptoms. PloS ONE, 14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Westbrook, D., Kennerley, H. & Kirk, J. (2011). Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Skills and Applications (2nd edn). London, UK: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.