Many health care professionals recommend psychotherapy, or “talk therapy”, as a treatment for major depression. Along with antidepressant medication, psychotherapy has gained status as an effective treatment for the symptoms of depression through years of scientific study. A wealth of research has addressed the question of whether psychotherapy works to safely treat depression.
Abundant Scientific Evidence Shows Results
Scientific research dating to the 1940s has demonstrated clearly that psychotherapy works to alleviate symptoms of depression and other psychological ailments, according to the authors of “The Heart and Soul of Change: What Works in Therapy.” The preponderance of this evidence suggests that those who engage in psychotherapy of some kind fare better than 80 percent of their untreated counterparts. In their review of the evidence, these authors also note that psychotherapy tends to work relatively quickly--with improvement in as few as 10 sessions for about half of patients--and produce lasting effects.
Mainstream Varieties are Successful
Psychotherapy comes in many forms, and different practitioners may employ different methods when conducting talk therapy sessions. For instance, a therapist with a humanistic orientation may structure sessions around a patient’s immediate emotions, while a therapist with a cognitive behavioral orientation may ask more directive questions aimed as identifying dysfunctional thoughts. According to Bruce Wampold, Ph.D., much debate surrounds the issue of whether various mainstream therapies work with equal efficacy. Wampold argues that evidence indicates such equality, while others--such as the authors of an article published in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest in 2009--maintain the superiority of cognitive-behavioral therapies. Although this issue remains controversial within the field of psychology, most don't debate the efficacy of mainstream forms of psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy, in treating major depression. Speak with a licensed mental health professional about their orientation and the scientific evidence to ensure the best care.
May Work Even Better in Combination With Medication
Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2004 examined the question of whether psychotherapy works as well as antidepressant medication in treating depression in adolescents. The study found that both are efficacious, and that the combination of the two may work best. The “Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders,” fourth edition, concluded after reviewing multiple studies that both work to alleviate symptoms of depression, though the finding that they work better together is more tenuous.
References
- “The Heart and Soul of Change”; Mark Hubble, Ph.D., Barry Duncan, Psy.D., & Scott Miller, Ph.D.; 1999
- "The Great Psychotherapy Debate"; Bruce Wampold, Ph.D.; 2001
- “Psychological Science in the Public Interest”; Current Status and Future Prospects of Clinical Psychology; Timothy B. Baker, Ph.D., Richard M. McFall, Ph.D., & Varda Shoham, Ph.D.; 2009
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Fluoxetine, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Their Combination for Adolescents With Depression; John March et al.;2004
- "Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders"; David Barlow, Ph.D.; 4th edition, 2008
