Cognitive behavioural therapy is effective in reducing depression in people whose symptoms have not responded to treatment with antidepressants

Antidepressants are the most widely used treatment for people with moderate to severe depression. However, up to two thirds of people with depression don't respond fully to this type of treatment. New findings, published in The Lancet , have shown cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)*, provided in addition to usual care, can reduce symptoms of depression and help improve patients' quality of life. This is the first large-scale trial to test the effectiveness of CBT - a type of talking psychotherapy - given in addition to usual care that includes antidepressants. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programm e-funded CoBalT study aimed to determine the best 'next step' treatment for people whose depression had not responded to medication alone. The CoBaIT team, comprising researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Exeter and Glasgow, recruited 469 patients aged 18- to 75-years with treatment-resistant depression for the randomised controlled trial. Patients were split into two groups: 235 patients continued with their usual care from the GP, which included continuing on antidepressant medication, and 234 patients were treated with CBT in addition to usual care from their GP.