Sections
Introduction | Shared Features of Depression-Focused Psychotherapies | Interpersonal Psychotherapy | Cognitive Therapy | Treatment Efficacy | Depression-Focused Psychotherapies for Bipolar Disorder | Conclusion | References
Excerpt
The term depression-focused psychotherapy is used herein to describe the time-limited psychosocial treatments that have been tested and found to be effective treatments of major depressive disorder. In this chapter we will review the most influential of these forms of therapy: interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) (Klerman et al. 1984) and the cognitive-behavioral models of therapy, including cognitive therapy (CT) (Beck et al. 1979) and cognitive-behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy (CBASP) (McCullough 2000). Each of these models of psychotherapy emphasizes the use of model-specific formulations, psychoeducation, and procedurally guided interventions to help patients learn to cope with and, it is hoped, recover from depression. Another feature in common is that each of these psychotherapies has been subjected to empirical study using randomized clinical trials. In this chapter we describe the conceptual and pragmatic underpinnings for the major forms of depression-focused psychotherapy and summarize evidence concerning their efficacy in the treatment of major depressive disorder in the adult population, building on the comprehensive review published by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (Depression Guideline Panel 1993) and the "Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Major Depressive Disorder" published by the American Psychiatric Association (2000). The interested reader might also wish to consult the earlier version of this chapter for a more detailed review of the older literature (Thase 2001).