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Socratic questioning may help solve depression, according to a new study.

The latest study defined "Socratic questioning" as asking patients a series of guided questions that helps them consider new perspectives on themselves and their place in the world.

"People with depression can get stuck in a negative way of thinking," Justin Braun, co-author of the study and a doctoral student in psychology at The Ohio State University, said in a news release. "Socratic questioning helps patients examine the validity of their negative thoughts and gain a broader, more realistic perspective."

"We found that Socratic questioning was predictive of symptom improvements above and beyond the therapeutic relationship -- the variable that has been most examined in previous studies," added co-author Daniel Strunk, an associate professor of psychology at Ohio State.

"Patients are learning this process of asking themselves questions and being skeptical of their own negative thoughts," Braun said. "When they do, they tend to see a substantial reduction in their depressive symptoms."

The latest study involved 55 patients who underwent a 16-week course of cognitive therapy for depression.

The findings are published in the journal Behavior Research and Therapy.