Change in thyroid hormone levels following response to cognitive therapy for major depression.
OBJECTIVE
Various somatic antidepressant treatments of depression are associated with substantial but limited decreases in T4 levels. This study examined changes in patients' thyroid hormone levels during a period of cognitive behavior therapy.


METHODS
Thyroid hormone levels of 30 patients with major depressive disorder were measured before and after they received 20 weekly sessions of cognitive behavior therapy.


RESULTS
There were significant decreases in measures of T4 in the 17 responders to cognitive behavior therapy and increases in the 13 nonresponders.


CONCLUSIONS
Cognitive behavior therapy has an effect on the thyroid axis similar to that of somatic antidepressant treatments.
Joffe
R
R
Department of Psychiatry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont., Canada.
Segal
Z
Z
Singer
W
W
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood
D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine