Cognitive therapy and medication in treating depression: a research review

Intervention for Mental Illness

"Cognitive Therapy for Depression"

What is the specific micro problem?

The specific micro problem being addressed is mental illness.

What is one specific intervention that has been researched to address this micro-problem?

The intervention that has been researched is the different treatment options to aid mental health, particularly treatments for depression.

Identify one research article that discusses the effectiveness of the intervention.

The research article is "Cognitive Therapy for Depression."

Who are the researchers for this study?

The researchers for this study are Dr. Jan Scott and her team at the University Department of Psychological Medicine.

Who are the subjects of this study?

The subjects of this study are individuals who are currently or who have in the past been treated for depression by mental health specialists.

c. What is the number of subjects in this study?

It appears from the text that there were 80 subjects for this study.

d. Where was the research conducted?

The research was conducted at the University Department of Psychological Medicine at Gartnavel Royal Hospital in Glasgow, UK.

e. Who funded the research?

The research was funded by the American Psychological Association Task Force.

f. What is the date of this article?

This article is dated 2001.

g. From what journal did this article come from?

This article came from the British Medical Bulletin.

h. What are the methods used in this research?

The researchers compared two groups of individuals focusing on the methods utilized by the NIMH study. In doing so, the researchers examined people being treated for depression both through cognitive therapy and through medication.

i. State one piece of data or statistic that is presented. Is it accurately represented?

The study cites Addis and Jacobson and their research on cognitive therapy and other behavior psychotherapies to prove that medicinal aids are an important component of depression aid. Addis and Jacobson believed cognitive therapy was the most important part of depression treatment but did acknowledge that medicinal aid also helps.

j. Do you detect any biases?

There are a few lines in the piece that indicate a negative impression of former research. One such line reads: "Unfortunately, a review of nine early psychotherapy studies revealed poor research designs and limited benefits from this alternative" (2001-page 107).

k. This researcher investigated the uses of cognitive therapy and medicines in treating forms of depression. She looked not only at her own patients and the things she observed in the hospital, but also looked at research that was performed at other institutions to compare her own findings. In her conclusion, Dr. Scott determined that cognitive therapy is best suited for individuals suffering from mild to moderate depression. The more severe the depression, the more likely it will be that medicinal treatment will be needed.

o. What are some indications that this is a credible study?

Dr. Scott is from a reputable institution which would indicate that the study is credible. Additionally, she has a lot of textual support indicating that she has performed her research and is very knowledgeable about her topic. The only deficit I can see is that she is markedly in favor of cognitive therapy and therefore would be potentially liable to slant her findings in favor of that conclusion.

"Initial Severity and Antidepressant Benefits"

a. The researchers for this study are Irving Kirsh, Brett J. Deacon, Tania B. Huedo-Medina, et.al.

b. The subjects of this study are people who suffer from depression who were being treated with antidepressant medication.

c. Researchers acquired data sent to the FDA and meta-analyzed them. So the subjects of the study were the 47 data sets themselves.

d. It is unclear where the study was conducted.

e. It is unclear who funded this research.

f. The article is dated February 2008.

g. This article came from PLoS Medicine magazine.

h. The researchers obtained data on all the clinical trials submitted to the FDA for the licensing of fluoxetine, venlafaxine, nefazodone, and paroxetine. They looked at the results of clinical trials for the medicine to see what the results were and compared them with older generation antidepressants and placebos.

i. The researchers site the study of "Depression: Management of Depression in Primary and Secondary Care" from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

j. Like the other study, there are no obvious biases detected, just a general sense that the writers of the study are invested with the attitude that their findings will be predetermined.

k. The researchers here wanted to determine if the newest forms of antidepressants worked any better than older types of medications. What they found was that these medicines are far less effective and do not even pass the lowest level of effectiveness for FDA approval. They compared people's reactions to these medications vs. placebos and found that the new generation of pills was lacking overall.

l. The article does not discuss other forms of intervention.

m. Were I conducting this research, I might look at other forms of depression therapy. The problem with both articles is that they only concentrate on the one form and how that concerns their research.

n. The researchers studies are in fact based on other studies: 47 of them to be precise, all of which are cited.

o. I believe this is a credible study. The researchers are all from different institutions and are working together. Therefore, there is no bias on behalf of a given academic community. Secondly the researchers compare the medicinal effects to those of placebo and those of older medications. They look at the same results pharmaceutical companies point to in order to determine their successes or failures.

Works Cited:

Kirsch, Irving (2008). "Initial Severity and Antidepressant Benefits: A Meta-Analysis of Data

Submitted to the Food and Drug Administration." PLoS Medicine.

Scott, Jan (2001). "Cognitive Therapy for Depression." British Medical Bulletin: 57:1. 101-113.