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Treatment of Depressed In-Patients

Cognitive Therapy plus Medication, Relaxation plus Medication, and Medication Alone

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Wayne A. Bowers*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA

Abstract

Thirty in-patients received one of three treatments – medication (nortriptyline) alone (MA), relaxation therapy plus medication (RT&M), or cognitive therapy plus medication (CT&M) (each n = 10) – along with ward milieu. The relaxation and cognitive therapy groups participated in 12 therapy sessions. Symptoms of depression and related cognitive variables were assessed at sessions 1, 6 and 12, and at discharge. All groups improved over the course of the study. CT&M and RT&M groups reported significantly fewer depressive symptoms and negative cognitions at discharge than the MA group. The number of subjects judged depressed at discharge was lower in the CT&M group than in the MA and RT&M groups. It is proposed that a consistent rationale for treatment is a significant facilitating factor in achieving behavioural and cognitive changes in depression.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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