Psychotherapy is warranted to prevent relapse in depression: drugs alone are not the answer

The results of a recent meta-analytic study provide further evidence that psychotherapy, in particular cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and its modifications such as well-being therapy (WBT), may play a key role in preventing relapse among depressed patients treated with antidepressant drugs. The sequential use of psychotherapy directed toward residual symptoms after response to acute-phase pharmacotherapy has been shown to yield long-term benefits, either during continuation or after discontinuation of antidepressant medication. In fact, psychotherapy may generate skills that patients can continue to use after treatment ends to manage their own affective states, reducing risks for relapse or recurrence. Read more: http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15040476