ABSTRACT
Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) therapists rely on flip-charts and white boards to illustrate important time-line variations in the clinical course. Patients collaboratively assist in the construction of the course history of their disorder. Practitioners begin with a current depression diagnosis for example: major depression disorder (MD) or early-onset dysthymia (DYS) before beginning to graph the clinical course. Practitioners inquire about the presence of early-onset dysthymia because dysthymia frequently signals a maltreatment developmental history. With late-onset patients when antecedent, early-onset dysthymia is not present, depression onset will likely begin during the mid-20s and follow some crisis-stress event. After a 2-year course is obvious and a persistent depression with intermittent MD episodes, with current episode diagnosis is confirmed, therapists may keep working back in time using the chart to reflect the episodes of major depressive and the inter-episode dysthymia intervals.
