How much psychotherapy is needed to treat depression? A metaregression analysis
Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
Standard
In: Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol. 149, No. 1-3, 07.2013, p. 1-13.
Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - How much psychotherapy is needed to treat depression?
T2 - A metaregression analysis
AU - Cuijpers, Pim
AU - Huibers, Marcus
AU - Ebert, David Daniel
AU - Koole, Sander L.
AU - Andersson, Gerhard
PY - 2013/7
Y1 - 2013/7
N2 - Background: Although psychotherapies are effective in the treatment of adult depression it is not clear how this treatment effect is related to amount, frequency and intensity of therapy. Methods: To fill this gap in knowledge, the present metaregression analysis examined the association between the effects of psychotherapy for adult depression and several indicators of amount, frequency and intensity of therapy. The analysis included 70 studies (92 comparisons) with 5403 patients, in which individual psychotherapy was compared with a control group (e.g. waiting list, care-as-usual). Results: There was only a small association between number of therapy sessions and effect size, and this association was no longer significant when the analysis adjusted for other characteristics of the studies. The multivariable analyses also found no significant association with the total contact time or duration of the therapy. However, there was a strong association between number of sessions per week and effect size. An increase from one to two sessions per week increased the effect size with g=0.45, while keeping the total number of treatment sessions constant. Discussion: More research is needed to establish the robustness of this finding. Based on these findings, it may be advisable to concentrate psychotherapy sessions within a brief time frame.
AB - Background: Although psychotherapies are effective in the treatment of adult depression it is not clear how this treatment effect is related to amount, frequency and intensity of therapy. Methods: To fill this gap in knowledge, the present metaregression analysis examined the association between the effects of psychotherapy for adult depression and several indicators of amount, frequency and intensity of therapy. The analysis included 70 studies (92 comparisons) with 5403 patients, in which individual psychotherapy was compared with a control group (e.g. waiting list, care-as-usual). Results: There was only a small association between number of therapy sessions and effect size, and this association was no longer significant when the analysis adjusted for other characteristics of the studies. The multivariable analyses also found no significant association with the total contact time or duration of the therapy. However, there was a strong association between number of sessions per week and effect size. An increase from one to two sessions per week increased the effect size with g=0.45, while keeping the total number of treatment sessions constant. Discussion: More research is needed to establish the robustness of this finding. Based on these findings, it may be advisable to concentrate psychotherapy sessions within a brief time frame.
KW - Health sciences
KW - Depression
KW - Intensity
KW - Major depression
KW - Meta-analysis
KW - Psychotherapy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84878515738&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2013.02.030
DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2013.02.030
M3 - Scientific review articles
C2 - 23528438
VL - 149
SP - 1
EP - 13
JO - Journal of Affective Disorders
JF - Journal of Affective Disorders
SN - 0165-0327
IS - 1-3
ER -