The contribution of active medication to combined treatments of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for adult depression: a meta-analysis

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
Pim CuijpersGerhard Andersson

Abstract

Although there is sufficient evidence that combined treatments of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are more effective for depression in adults than each of the treatments alone, it remains unclear what the exact contribution of active medication is to the overall effects of combined treatments. This paper examines the contribution of active medication to combined psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy treatments. Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials comparing the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy with the combination of psychotherapy and placebo. Sixteen identified studies involving 852 patients met our inclusion criteria. The standardised mean difference indicating the differences between the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy and the combination of psychotherapy and placebo was 0.25 (95% CI: 0.03-0.46), which corresponds to a numbers-needed-to-be-treated of 7.14. No significant differences between subgroups of studies were found. Active medication has a small but significant contribution to the overall efficacy of combined treatments.

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Citations

Dec 3, 2014·Clinics in Geriatric Medicine·Mijung Park, Charles F Reynolds
Jan 11, 2014·Annual Review of Psychology·W Edward Craighead, Boadie W Dunlop
Apr 9, 2015·Drugs·Katherine SemenkovichPatrick J Lustman
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Jan 21, 2017·The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science·Toshi A FurukawaPim Cuijpers
Mar 19, 2019·Harvard Review of Psychiatry·Paula RavitzHolly A Swartz
Nov 5, 2011·Der Nervenarzt·E Schramm, M Berger
Jan 11, 2020·World Psychiatry : Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA)·Pim CuijpersToshi A Furukawa
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Jul 21, 2011·Nordic Journal of Psychiatry·Pim CuijpersAnnemieke van Straten
Mar 27, 2020·Frontiers in Psychiatry·Mirko WegnerHenning Budde
Mar 7, 2021·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Daryl Wayne NiedermoserUndine E Lang
Jun 9, 2021·Behaviour Research and Therapy·Steven D HollonBenoit H Mulsant

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