No Difference Between Antidepressants, CBT for Severe Depression

The available evidence suggests no difference in treatment effects of second generation antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) either alone or in combination, for patients with major depressive disorder, finds a study in The BMJ.

Some research suggests that patients might prefer treatment with psychotherapy over medication, but evidence about which treatments are most effective is unclear.

So, a team led by Gerald Gartlehner at Danube University, supported by Halle Amick and colleagues at the University of North Carolina and the Research Triangle Institute International, analyzed the results of 11 randomized controlled trials.

Each trial compared second generation antidepressants and CBT for the initial treatment of major depressive disorder and involved a total of 1,511 patients. Differences in study design and quality were taken into account to minimize bias.

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