title: Comparing bona fide psychotherapies of depression in adults with two meta-analytical approaches.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite numerous investigations, the question whether all bona fide treatments of depression are equally efficacious in adults has not been sufficiently answered.
  
  
  METHODS
  We applied two different meta-analytical techniques (conventional meta-analysis and mixed treatment comparisons). Overall, 53 studies with 3,965 patients, which directly compared two or more bona fide psychotherapies in a randomized trial, were included. Meta-analyses were conducted regarding five different types of outcome measures. Additionally, the influence of possible moderators was examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Direct comparisons of cognitive behavior therapy, behavior activation therapy, psychodynamic therapy, interpersonal therapy, and supportive therapies versus all other respective treatments indicated that at the end of treatment all treatments but supportive therapies were equally efficacious whereas there was some evidence that supportive therapies were somewhat less efficacious than all other treatments according to patient self-ratings and clinical significance. At follow-up no significant differences were present. Age, gender, comorbid mental disorders, and length of therapy session were found to moderate efficacy. Cognitive behavior therapy was superior in studies where therapy sessions lasted 90 minutes or longer, behavior activation therapy was more efficacious when therapy sessions lasted less than 90 minutes. Mixed treatment comparisons indicated no statistically significant differences in treatment efficacy but some interesting trends.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that there might be differential effects of bona fide psychotherapies which should be examined in detail.
authors.affiliation: University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gregor
authors.forename: Ulrich S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Tran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult