cognitive approach to treating depression ao3

Question 1

how does march et al provide evidence that cbt is effective

Answer 1

march et al compared the effects of cbt with antidepressants and a combination of the two in 327 teenagers with a diagnosis of depression. after 36 weeks 81% of the cbt group, 81% of the antidepressant group and 86% of the combination group had significantly improved. this shows that cbt is effective when used alongside medication

Question 2

how is cbt not working for severe cases a weakness

Answer 2

cbt takes a lot of hard cognitive work. if a patient cannot motivate themselves to engage with this, it can mean that cbt is unsuitable for them. in these cases antidepressants are more effective. shows that application is not always suitable

Question 3

how does rosenzweig show that success of cbt may be due to the therapist and patient relationship instead (weakness)

Answer 3

rosenzweig suggested that the differences between different methods of psychotherapy such as cbt and systematic desensitisation might be quite small. all psychotherapies have the patient and therapist relationship in common, which may mean that it is the quality of the relationship which determine the success rather than the technique being used