Sections
Combining Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy With Medication: Introduction | Historical Background | Review of the Empirical Evidence for Combining CBT
With Medication to Treat Psychiatric Disorders | Methodological Problems in Combination Psychotherapy
and Pharmacotherapy Studies in Major Depressive Disorder | Combining CBT With Medication to Treat Major Depression:
The CBT–Biological Therapy Model Expanded | Combining CBT and Pharmacotherapy for the Treatment
of Mood Disorders: A Clinical Perspective | Application of Combination Therapy for Mood Disorders | Conclusion | Key Points | References | Suggested Readings
Excerpt
Although it may seem intuitively correct to
routinely combine cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medications
for treatment of a wide range of disorders, the advantage of this
therapeutic approach is not strongly supported by the results of
randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In this chapter we briefly
review the issue of combining medications and CBT in the major categories
of psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and
mood disorders. Because of the dearth of data on the combination
of medication and CBT in the treatment of schizophrenia and the
anxiety disorders, we focus on the mood disorders. We also examine
the methodological problems inherent in combination treatment studies
and, using the example of major depressive disorder, present another
model to better understand the effects of combining CBT and medication
therapy.