Talking therapy 'as effective as antidepressants' study finds

ConclusionPrevious research has shown that both second generation antidepressants and CBT can be helpful for people with depression. This study found that they seem to work about as well as each other.The study has many strengths, including the fact it is a systematic review, and includes information from RCTs involving more than 1,500 people. However, the studies don't give us much information about adverse effects of treatments, or who responds best to which type of treatment. This is important, because what works for one person may not work as well for another. Some doctors think people with severe depression need to be treated with antidepressants before they are well enough to engage with CBT. Some people have a strong preference for therapy rather than tablets, or vice versa. Many doctors also think the two treatments work best in combination, especially for those with more severe depression. There are some limitations to this review, including the small sample sizes in each included study. Also, three of the studies included some people in the CBT group who were also taking antidepressant therapy which reduces the reliability of the findings.Additionally, the review used data from the studies on outcomes after a period of 12 to 24 weeks. It did not say which treatment was likely to be more effective over the long term. While this study is reassuring, guidelines in the UK already recommend both antidepressants and talking therapies, with talking therapies suggested fir...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Medical practice Source Type: news