title: Psychotherapy in two-plus-one sessions: outcomes of a randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic-interpersonal therapy for subsyndromal depression.
abstract: A total of 116 clients with a range of subsyndromal depression received 3 therapy sessions: 2 sessions 1 week apart followed by a 3rd session 3 months later (the 2 + 1 model). Clients were stratified for severity on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) as stressed, subclinical, or low-level clinically depressed. In a 2 x 2 design, they received either cognitive-behavioral (CB) or psychodynamic-interpersonal (PI) therapy, either immediately or after a 4-week delay. An initial advantage for the immediate condition disappeared once the delayed-condition clients received treatment. Improvement rates at the end of treatment were 67% (stressed), 72% (subclinical), and 65% (low-level clinically depressed). There were no significant differences between CB and PI treatment methods, with the exception at 1-year follow-up, when the BDI showed a significant advantage for CB. Implications for designing very brief planned interventions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Psychological Therapies Research Centre, University of Leeds, United Kingdom. michaelb@psychology.leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barkham
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rees
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000379:methods*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome