ABSTRACT
Cognitive-behavioral models share one main idea, which is that mood, behavior, and thoughts are linked in such a way as to be mutually influential on one another. Thus making positive changes in cognition can have a positive impact on behavior and mood. Cognitive treatments that target the negative thinking implicated in maintaining health issues are expected to spur positive behavior and mood change. Practically speaking, cognitive therapy (CT) also may be an important tool to be used in behavior therapy in cases in which over valued beliefs get in the way of following behavioral recommendations (Carney & Edinger, 2006). For example, if one believes that 8 hours of sleep is necessary to function well during the day, the recommendation to limit the time spent in bed to less than 8 hours may be met with poor adherence because it is in opposition to the client's beliefs. Modifying sleep need beliefs to favor sleep quality over quantity is more likely to yield adherence with an instruction to limit time in bed. We would expect less anxiety and arousal and therefore less resistance in someone whose beliefs were modified to value quality over quantity, relative to someone who valued sleep duration exclusively. Thus, although the goal of CT is to modify negative thinking linked to disorder, CT also may have an added positive impact on adherence to behavioral or even pharmaceutical adjuncts to treatment.
