Acute and one-year outcome of a randomised controlled trial of brief cognitive therapy for major depressive disorder in primary care.
BACKGROUND
The consensus statement on the treatment of depression (Paykel & Priest, 1992) advocates the use of cognitive therapy techniques as an adjunct to medication.


METHODS
This paper describes a randomised controlled trial of brief cognitive therapy (BCT) plus 'treatment as usual' versus treatment as usual in the management of 48 patients with major depressive disorder presenting in primary care.


RESULTS
At the end of the acute phase, significantly more subjects (P < 0.05) met recovery criteria in the intervention group (n = 15) compared with the control group (n = 8). When initial neuroticism scores were controlled for, reductions in Beck Depression Inventory and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores favoured the BCT group throughout the 12 months of follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
BCT may be beneficial, but given the time constraints, therapists need to be more rather than less skilled in cognitive therapy. This, plus methodological limitations, leads us to advise caution before applying this approach more widely in primary care.
Scott
C
C
Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Tacchi
M J
MJ
Jones
R
R
Scott
J
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016312:Treatment Refusal