AO3 - Cognitive Treatment for Depression

• Research to support the effectiveness of CBT comes from March. He studies adolescents with depression and found that 81% of their symptoms had significantly improved after CBT and 86% had improved if CBT was combined with antidepressants. This suggests that challenging irrational/negative thoughts can provide a reduction in depressive symptoms. Therefore, CBT is a popular choice for depression for the NHS.

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• One limitation of CBT as a treatment for depression is that it requires motivation and commitment. This is because patients attend sessions over a period of time and must complete homework, like keeping a diary and engaging in activities they once enjoyed. This is an issue for individuals with depression as they often lack motivation, therefore reducing the effectiveness of CBT as a treatment for depression.
• Another limitation of CBT as a treatment is that it has high relapse rates. Although CBT is effective in tackling the symptoms of depression, there are concerns over how long the benefits last, few studies look at long-term effectiveness. Some recent studies suggest that long-term outcomes are not as good as had been assumed. Research by some psychologists show that 53% of 439 clients who had CBT for depression relapsed in a year of treatment ending. This implies that patients may need to engage in treatment more regularly, therefore reducing the effectiveness of CBT as a long term treatment.