Are Psychopharmaca Superior to Psychotherapy in the...

Title: Are psychopharmaca superior to psychotherapy in the treatment of depression? Introduction Concerning the treatment of depression, the figures are of such proportions that details can never be over-looked or neglected. Consider the following. Depressive disorders are amongst the most frequent psychiatric diseases in the Western World, with prevalence numbers between 9% and 18%. According to a 1997 survey (Jindal Thase, 2003) of the most common reasons for patient visits to family physicians in the United States, depression and anxiety ranked 11th and 17th respectively. The seriousness of this disorder, besides prevalence but in terms of affect, cannot be overstated. Beck (1967) identified five cardinal symptoms of†¦show more content†¦Cognitive therapy holds that the essence of therapy is getting the patient to put incorrect or faulty schemas aside in order to build new ones. Self-defeating thoughts are substituted with other forms of self-talk, a process sometimes termed cognitive restructuring. In general, clients are encouraged to view their personal thought patterns as hypotheses that need to be tested and validated, rather than as certainties. Findings #61656; moderate to severe depression.(2005) Random assignment to 16 weeks of medication (n=120), 16 weeks of cognitive therapy (n=60), or 8 weeks of pill placebo (n=60). Hamilton depression rating scale provided continuous severity scores and allowed for designations of response and remission. At 8 weeks, response rates in medications(50%) and cognitive therapy (43%) groups were both superior to the placebo (25%) group. Each group with a medium effect size. Conclusion: cognitive therapy can be as effective as medications for the initial treatment of moderate to severe major depression, but this degree of effectiveness may depend on a high level of therapist experience or expertise. #61656; Severe depression: Mega-analysis of four randomized comparisons.(1999). The combined results from four randomized clinical trials do not support the inference that antidepressant medication is superior to cognitive behaviourShow MoreRelatedComparing the Efficacy of Cognitive Therapy and Antidepressant Medication in the Treatment of Depression1249 Words   |  5 Pageseffective treatment method. Extensive research has been conducted on the efficacy of antidepressant medication and cognitive therapy, the two main treatment methods used for depression today. The discussion has, however, been characterized by conflicting claims, resulting in a debate over what should be used rather than us having definite conclusion of how patients are best helped. The extensive research of Elkin et al (1989) concluded that cognitive therapy was not an effective treatment method forRead MoreComparing Therapy and Medication1786 Words   |  7 Pageseffective treatment method. Extensive research has been conducted on the efficacy of antidepressant medication and cognitive therapy, the two main treatment methods used for depression today. The discussion has, however, been characterized by conflicting claims, resulting in a debate over what should be used rather than us having a definite conclusion of how patients are best helped. The extensive research of Elkin et al (1989) concluded that cognitive therapy was not an effective treatment method for