ABSTRACT
Problem-solving therapy (PST) originated in the 1970s as a form of cognitive-behavioural therapy that focused on helping individuals to improve their general confidence and skill when it comes to solving their own problems. Most of the relevant research has focused on the finding that depression tends to be associated with problem-solving deficits and a substantial body of clinical outcome research now demonstrates that PST is effective in the treatment of clinical depression. Various assessment tools have been used to evaluate problem-solving ability and related constructs, most notably the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R), a fifty-two-item (or twenty-five-item short form) self-report scale, with good psychometric properties. The main clinical textbook describing the generic approach is Problem-Solving Therapy by D'Zurilla and Nezu. There is also an accompanying self-help book, Solving Life's Problems by Nezu, Nezu, and D'Zurilla. The physician teaches the patient to regard his symptoms as the product of emotions and distorted goals in life.
