The Graded Task Assignment Technique For Treating Depression
Within cognitive therapy for the treatment of depression, a variety of emotional, cognitive and behavioral techniques are included aimed at reducing depressive symptoms. In this article we will talk about the assignment of graded tasks a technique especially indicated in the first phases of psychological treatment.
The Assignment of Graded Tasks is focused on reducing the patient’s apathy and promoting their behavioral activation, so that little by little their mood improves. We are going to know in detail how this is achieved using this technique.
Cognitive therapy for depression It includes different components or techniques grouped into 3 large areas: behavioral, cognitive and emotional techniques. Within the behavioral techniques, we find the assignment of graded tasks.
Behavioral techniques are used to promote behavioral changes and alleviate motivational and affective symptoms, especially in very depressed patients They also help detect and modify maladaptive cognitions used as small experiments.
Within them, we distinguish:
Let’s see what the latter consists of, the assignment of graded tasks.
Graded Homework Assignment: Features
Graded task assignment is a behavioral technique widely used in Aaron Beck’s cognitive therapy for the treatment of depressive disorders.
Assignment of graded tasks It is mainly used in the early phases of therapy, and/or when the patient is very depressed, with the aim of removing him from that state of apathy and absolute apathy. The therapist’s goal will be to restore the patient’s previous level of functioning before the depression.
The application of graded tasks will allow more cognitive techniques to be incorporated in more advanced phases of treatment, when the patient’s mood is better.
The technique consists of assigning the patient tasks with different degrees of difficulty, that represent a challenge for him but with a high probability of success The tasks will be graduated, that is, their level of difficulty will go from less to more, and they will become increasingly more complex for the patient.
The therapist should record the patient’s expectations of difficulty and effectiveness regarding different tasks or activities, as well as the degree of realism regarding these expectations.
It will also be important, as therapy progresses, contrast the patient’s evaluations of their performance
Theoretical foundations of graded task assignment
The theoretical foundation of this method is based on the clinical observation that the patient in a severely depressed state believes that he is no longer capable of developing the functions that are “expected of him” as a student, worker, mother or father, etc. In the same way, his significant others sometimes also start to think about it.
Furthermore, the patient may no longer have hope of obtaining gratification from activities that he or she previously enjoyed. That is why the assignment of graded tasks It is also considered a behavioral experiment where the patient verifies that he can carry out all these tasks and can even enjoy them again.
In the same way, the therapist, by helping the patient to modify certain behaviors, will be able to show him that his negative and excessively general conclusions were incorrect.
As already mentioned, graded task assignment is usually used at the beginning of psychotherapy, in the early phases of treatment. Specifically, We can differentiate three phases of cognitive therapy:
In phase 1 is the assignment of graded tasks. In this phase, A series of graduated activities or tasks will be planned with the patient that this will develop.
First, you will need to record the activities you do daily and your mood.
Then the therapist will schedule activities with him aimed at increasing his activity level, your satisfaction and your feeling of achievement (the goal is for the patient to feel “useful” even when doing simple tasks).
Finally, the activities will be broken down into smaller steps when necessary
Additional benefit of the technique
Furthermore, this first phase of therapy, as well as the assignment of graded tasks, represents an additional benefit for the patient, since it will help avoid or control the tendency to ruminate.
In this way, at increase activity level, attention and energy They will focus on aspects other than one’s own thinking (they will be directed to the outside world, and not so much to the interior).
Thus, when the patient focuses his interest and attention on specific activities, The therapist will induce him to counteract his escape towards ruminative or depressive thoughts and will allow you to dedicate yourself to more constructive activities.
On the other hand, and as we have already seen, there are other techniques similar to the assignment of graded tasks. Specifically, one that is very similar is the scheduling of activities. Let’s see the differences between them, since they are concepts that are sometimes used interchangeably (although they are slightly different techniques).
Differences between Activity Scheduling and Graded Task Assignment
The scheduling of activities is more demanding and structured than the assignment of graded tasks, and the assignment of graded tasks, for its part, It is focused on activities of daily living of the patient.
In addition, the programming of activities must include a patient agenda where they write down the scheduled tasks with the therapist.
