Talk therapy can be as effective as medication for depression

Medication is not the only solution for people who are clinically depressed, doctors at
UT Southwestern Medical Center report.

“Cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy, two types of talk therapy, are sometimes as effective at treating depression as is medication,” says Dr. Anna Brandon, assistant professor of psychiatry at the UT Southwestern Women’s Mental Health Center. “For older adults who may have to take medications for other problems, talk therapy eliminates the worry about side effects or trying several medications before one works.”

Dr. Brandon says talk therapy typically consists of weekly sessions for about four months. The time to recovery is highly individual, but most patients report feeling better about halfway into treatment. Recovery with antidepressant medication also varies based on factors such as finding the right antidepressant and the right dosage.  Most antidepressants are considered at their full potency for improvement around eight weeks after initiation, but some patients report feeling better in the first few weeks of treatment.

“Generally speaking, patients may feel better sooner with antidepressants, but talk therapy tends to bring longer recovery and fewer relapses,” Dr. Brandon says. “It also has the added benefit of helping people address the specific interpersonal problems that are contributing to their sadness.

“For some people, medication may still be the preferred option. Both medications and psychotherapy have been well studied as treatments for depression, so a person can be confident that improvement will happen. The important thing is to visit a mental health professional and get help.”

Visit www.utsouthwestern.org/mentalhealth to learn more about UT Southwestern’s mental health clinical services, including adult psychiatry.

Media Contact: LaKisha Ladson