Computer-administered therapy for depression.
We performed a randomized controlled study to evaluate computer-based cognitive behavioral therapy in 36 patients who met Research Diagnostic Criteria for major or minor depression. Patients were randomly assigned to the computer, to a therapist, or to a control group placed on a waiting list. As determined by three measures of depression (the Beck inventory, the Hamilton rating scale, and the Symptom Checklist-90-R), both treated groups had improved significantly more than the control group at the end of the treatment period and 2 months later. The treated groups did not differ from each other at either time.
Selmi
P M
PM
Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison 53792.
Klein
M H
MH
Greist
J H
JH
Sorrell
S P
SP
Erdman
H P
HP
D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted