Grounded in cognitive theory, the schema therapy model of psychopathology proposes a set of 18 cognitive schemas pertaining to five sets of emotional needs. More recently, the schema therapy model has been adapted for use with depressed clients. However, the utility of addressing emotional needs in the psychotherapeutic treatment of depression has not been established. The present paper aims to provide a narrative review of the current literature on basic needs as motivational systems in depression and their relation to schematic functioning. Theoretical considerations and practical evidence on the use of constructs related to basic motivation in depression are drawn from the literature on the cognitive and schema therapy-based models of depression. The implications for the theoretical understanding of needs are discussed, as are future directions for the research of schematic functioning in depression and implications for the treatment of this disorder.
Key words: needs, modes, depression, schema therapy, cognitive therapy
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