Cognitive therapy is a type of psychotherapy in which negative patterns of thought about the self and the world are challenged in order to alter unwanted behavior patterns or treat mood disorders such as depression. Which therapy challenges negative patterns of thought to treat mood disorders?

• A. Behavior therapy
• B. Cognitive therapy
• C. Psychoanalysis
• D. Humanistic therapy

Answer: (B)

The central idea is that changing the way we think can alter how we feel and behave, especially in mood disorders like depression. Cognitive therapy targets negative automatic thoughts and cognitive distortions, helping a person identify unhelpful beliefs, test their accuracy, and replace them with more balanced ways of thinking. By restructuring these thought patterns, mood symptoms often lessen and healthier behaviors emerge. Techniques used include thought records, cognitive restructuring, and Socratic questioning to challenge the validity of distressing thoughts. Other approaches focus more on behavior without altering thought content (behavior therapy), explore unconscious roots and past experiences (psychoanalysis), or emphasize personal growth and self-acceptance without explicitly addressing present thought patterns (humanistic therapy). This makes cognitive therapy the best fit for directly addressing negative thinking to treat mood disorders, and it’s a core component of cognitive-behavioral therapy used widely for depression.