title: Psychotherapy for depression in claimants receiving wage replacement benefits: review of the evidence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the evidence on the provision of psychotherapy for claimants who are suffering from depression and receiving wage replacement benefits.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature review was performed using PubMed and EMBASE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results from three studies are discussed. The first is a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the relative effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression in patients receiving disability benefits. A non-significant trend showed that the effect of CBT was greater in patients receiving benefits (34 patients) than those not receiving disability benefits (193 patients) on the Beck Depression Inventory; mean difference (95% confidence interval [CI]) = -4.46 (-12.21 to 3.30). The second study is an analysis of a large insurance administrative database consisting of 10,338 long-term disability claims for depression. Receipt of psychotherapy was associated with faster claim closure (hazard ratio = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.33 to 1.52). The third study evaluated the effectiveness of standard CBT vs work-focused CBT in 168 employees with common mental health problems (depression, anxiety and adjustment disorders). Employees receiving work-focused CBT returned to work 65 days earlier on average than those receiving standard CBT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Limited evidence shows that psychotherapy is effective in claimants suffering from depression who are in receipt of wage replacement benefits. At this time, clinicians and insurers should continue to recommend psychotherapy as a treatment management strategy for claimants with depression. Larger comparative trials, conducted in collaboration with disability insurers, will lead to increased confidence in estimates.
authors.forename: Shanil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ebrahim
mesh_terms: D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D018868:Insurance, Disability / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*