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Acute and one-year outcome of a randomised controlled trial of brief cognitive therapy for major depressive disorder in primary care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Christine Scott ,
Mary Jane Tacchi ,
Roger Jones  and
Jan Scott
Christine Scott*
Affiliation:
North Road Surgery, 77 North Road, Richmond, London
Mary Jane Tacchi
Affiliation:
Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne
Roger Jones
Affiliation:
Division of Primary Health Care, United Medical and Dental Schools, London
Jan Scott
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne
*
Dr Christine Scott, North Road Surgery, 77 North Road, Richmond TW9 4HQ
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Abstract

Background

The consensus statement on the treatment of depression (Paykel & Priest, 1992) advocates the use of cognitive therapy techniques as an adjunct to medication.

Method

This paper describes a randomised controlled trial of brief cognitive therapy (BCT) plus ‘treatment as usual’ versus treatment as usual in the management of 48 patients with major depressive disorder presenting in primary care.

Results

At the end of the acute phase, significantly more subjects (P < 0.05) met recovery criteria in the intervention group (n=15) compared with the control group (n=8). When initial neuroticism scores were controlled for, reductions in Beck Depression Inventory and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores favoured the BCT group throughout the 12 months of follow-up.

Conclusions

BCT may be beneficial, but given the time constraints, therapists need to be more rather than less skilled in cognitive therapy. This, plus methodological limitations, leads us to advise caution before applying this approach more widely in primary care.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 171 , Issue 2 , August 1997 , pp. 131 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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