Talk therapy may be best for depressed people

Talk therapy may beat medication for older adults' depression, particularly when therapists work along with the patient's primary care doctor, a research review suggests.

The review involved eight previous clinical trials, which found that psychological counselling was more effective, compared with the "usual care;" from family doctors for older adults with depression.

Usual care was up to each patient's primary care doctor, but typically involved antidepressant medication.

The other patients received various forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy - in combination with medication in some studies, and as a stand-alone therapy in others.

In general, researchers found, these latter patients did better than those given routine treatment. But the most positive results came from two studies that used an "interdisciplinary" approach - meaning mental health providers worked along with patients' primary care doctors to design their treatment.

This is important, according to the researchers, because studies have found that older adults prefer to seek depression therapy from their primary care doctors - but, at the same time, they also favor talk therapy over antidepressants.

"We think the findings give us some valuable information about what works," lead study author Dr Karyn M Skultety, of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in California, said.

There is already substantial evidence that, in contrast to traditional "clinical lore," older adults do not prefer drugs over psychological counselling, the researchers note.

What is more, the researchers point out, older adults' depression is often related to physical illnesses and disabilities - the very things for which they see their primary care doctors. And these depression symptoms not only stem from medical conditions, but can also exacerbate them.

Source: Health Psychology