FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2012 — In the United States, depression is the leading cause of disability, affecting 15 million people each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And while many people with depression who are prescribed antidepressants improve — and even go into remission — some remain unresponsive to drug treatment.
Researchers from the University of Bristol in Great Britain are reporting that a certain type of talk therapy had a dramatic impact on individuals in their study whose depression didn't respond to drugs. Based on their findings, they recommend that clinicians treating depression suggest cognitive behavioral therapy to patients as the next course of action, when antidepressants are ineffective.
Cognitive behavior therapy is a type of psychological counseling that teaches a person how to think in healthy ways. Rather than helping a patient rehash his or her childhood experiences, as is sometimes the case in traditional psychotherapy or psychoanalysis, a cognitive behavioral therapist helps a patient become mindful of how patterns of thought and perception influence behaviors and actions.
In cognitive behavior treatment, the therapist and patient work together to develop pragmatic solutions and coping skills, tackling problems that range from panic attacks to substance abuse, and even medical problems that can affect a person psychologically, such as chronic pain, sleep disorders, and obesity.
Patients focus on altering thought patterns and behaviors to tackle underlying emotional challenges. In cognitive behavior therapy, therapists take on a role similar to that of a personal trainer, and offer guidance and practical help, while the patient is expected to do "the work," some of which occurs outside of therapy sessions. Unlike ongoing psychotherapy or the long-term treatment known as psychoanalysis, cognitive behavior therapy is short-term, with patients typically ending treatment after 12 to 18 sessions.
In the Bristol study, which appears in the British medical journal The Lancet, the focus was on patients age 18 and older who didn't respond to psychotropic medications. The 469 study participants were randomly assigned to groups to either continue drug therapy or supplement medication with cognitive behavior therapy.
Within half a year, 46 percent of the 234 patients in therapy experienced a reduction in depressive symptoms, compared with 22 percent who continued to only take medications. Patients receiving cognitive behavior therapy reported continued improvements in depressive symptoms after a year.
Last Updated: 12/7/2012