title: [The effectiveness of psychotherapy on depression in the long term].
abstract: Different short-term therapies, mainly with short follow-ups, seem equally effective treatments of mood disorders. The Helsinki Psychotherapy Study is the only published randomized trial on the effectiveness of short-term and long-term therapies during a longer follow-up. During a 5-year follow-up, patients' recovery from symptoms and improvement in work ability were greater in long-term therapy than in two, equally effective, short-term therapies. The short-term therapies were, however, more cost-effective, but many patients in them did not recover. More randomized clinical trials and cohort studies with long follow-ups on the efficacy, sufficiency and suitability of short- and long-term therapy are thus needed.
authors.affiliation: Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos, Väestön terveydentila -yksikkö.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knekt
authors.forename: Olavi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lindfors
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sares-Jäske
authors.forename: Maarit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laaksonen
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D020127:Recovery of Function