Couples Therapy and Depression....
It is more effective to improving relationships.
"couples therapy is better than Antidepressants in both the short & long term"
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Results of a study in London comparing three treatments for couples,
where one person had depression;
This study was initiated because it was found that the relapse of depression may be associated with the attitude and support of the patients' partner. The study compared the efficacy and retention rate of participants on the various treatments.
The treatments tested were:
Option 1.
Antidepressants
Option 2.
Couples Therapy
Option 3.
Cognitive Therapy
Analysis of the data demonstrated the superiority of couples therapy over Anti-depressants in both the short and long term. The Couples Therapy success rate was so high that it is considered a better treatment for depression.
Couples therapy was also greatly preferred as a treatment option, by participants, than drugs. Participants
reported being generally happier, rating their marriage as better.
" The Couples Therapy success rate was so high that it is considered a superior treatment for depression"
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Whilst the depression improved in both Couples Therapy and Anti-depressants' groups, the retention rate was significantly higher in the Couples Therapy group. The drop out rate by participants doing Cognitive Therapy was so high that this wassoon deleted as a treatment option.
The drop out rate for each treatment in fact, was telling.... for Drug treatment over 56% left the study, for Couples therapy only 15% dropped out and under Cognitive Therapy a massive 75% dropped out.
These findings constitute a strong argument for training and skills specifically in Couples Therapy. Couples Therapy, though more 'people intensive', was not appreciable different in cost.
"the modality of CBT was deleted as a treatment option"
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Couples Therapy, in the 'systemic' modality- favoured by marriage and relationship therapists with a Degree in Social Work, aims to help the couple to gain new perspectives on presenting problems, to attach different meanings to depressive types of behaviour and to try new ways of relating to each other. Partner support for the person with depression is one of the most important and helpful positive outcomes we look to acheive.
Clinical Implications...
- Patients with depression, living with a critical partner, find couples therapy much more acceptable than antidepressant drugs;
- Couple therapy is at least as efficacious as antidepressant drugs, if not more so, both as a treatment for depression and in maintaining patients free of symptoms subsequently;
- Combining treatment costs with the costs of other services used, couple therapy is no more expensive than medication.
To the Full Article of the Study.....
Click Here
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Note: The modality of counselling known as Cognitive Therapy was dropped from the trial, because the drop out rate was so high. This is generally a modality more suited to individual counselling, Couples therapy being more effective for marriage and relationships.