485
Views
14
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Review

Psychotherapy in recurrent depression: efficacy, pitfalls, and recommendations

ORCID Icon, , &
Pages 1169-1175 | Received 12 Mar 2020, Accepted 30 Jul 2020, Published online: 10 Aug 2020

References

  • GBD 2016 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2016. Lancet. 2017;390:1211–1259.
  • Berwian IM, Walter H, Seifritz E, et al. Predicting relapse after antidepressant withdrawal-a systematic review. Psychol Med. 2017;47:426–437.
  • Cosci F, Fava GA. Staging of mental disorders: systematic review. Psychother Psychosom. 2013;82:20–34.
  • Frank E, Prien RF, Jarrett RB, et al. Conceptualization and rationale for consensus definitions of terms in major depressive disorder. Remission, recovery, relapse, and recurrence. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991;48:851–855.
  • Prien RF, Carpenter LL, Kupfer DJ. The definition and operational criteria for treatment outcome of major depressive disorder. A review of the current research literature. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991;48:796–800.
  • Fava GA, Ruini C, Belaise C. The concept of recovery in major depression. Psychol Med. 2007;37:307–317.
  • Gopinath S, Katon WJ, Russo JE, et al. Clinical factors associated with relapse in primary care patients with chronic or recurrent depression. J Affect Disord. 2007;101:57–63.
  • Kendler KS, Thornton LM, Gardner CO. Stressful life events and previous episodes in the etiology of major depression in women: an evaluation of the “kindling” hypothesis. Am J Psychiatry. 2000;157:1243–1251.
  • Buckman JEJ, Underwood A, Clarke K, et al. Risk factors for relapse and recurrence of depression in adults and how they operate: a four-phase systematic review and meta-synthesis. Clin Psychol Rev. 2018;64:13–38.
  • Taylor DJ, Walters HM, Vittengl JR, et al. Which depressive symptoms remain after response to cognitive therapy of depression and predict relapse and recurrence? J Affect Dis. 2010;123:181–187.
  • Paykel ES. Partial remission, residual symptoms, and relapse in depression. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2008;10:431–437.
  • Crown WH, Finkelstein S, Berndt ER, et al. The impact of treatment-resistant depression on health care utilization and costs. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002;63:963–971.
  • Judd LL. The clinical course of unipolar major depressive disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1997;54:989–991.
  • Fava GA, Cosci F, Guidi J, et al. Well-being therapy in depression: new insights into the role of psychological well‐being in the clinical process. Depress Anxiety. 2017;34:801–808.
  • Bayes AJ, Parker GB. Comparison of guidelines for the treatment of unipolar depression: a focus on pharmacotherapy and neurostimulation. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2018;137:459–471.
  • Fava GA. Rational use of antidepressant drugs. Psychother Psychosom. 2014;83:197–204.
  • Hengartner MP, Angst J, Rössler W. Antidepressant use prospectively relates to a poorer long-term outcome of depression: results from a prospective community cohort study over 30 years. Psychother Psychosom. 2018;87:181–183.
  • Baldessarini RJ, Tondo L. Effects of treatment discontinuation in clinical psychopharmacology. Psychother Psychosom. 2019;88:65–70.
  • Chouinard G, Chouinard VA. New classification of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor withdrawal. Psychother Psychosom. 2015;84:63–71.
  • Fava GA, Gatti A, Belaise C, et al. Withdrawal symptoms after selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor discontinuation: a systematic review. Psychother Psychosom. 2015;84:72–81.
  • Fava GA, Benasi G, Lucente M, et al. Withdrawal symptoms after serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor discontinuation: systematic review. Psychother Psychosom. 2018;87:195–203.
  • Davies J, Read J. A systematic review into the incidence, severity and duration of antidepressant withdrawal effects: are guidelines evidence-based? Addict Behav. 2019;97:111–121.
  • Fava GA, Belaise C. Discontinuing antidepressant drugs: lesson from a failed trial and extensive clinical experience. Psychother Psychosom. 2018;87:257–267.
  • Fava GA, Cosci F. Understanding and Managing Withdrawal Syndromes After Discontinuation of Antidepressant Drugs. J Clin Psychiatry. 2019;80:19com12794.
  • Cosci F, Chouinard G. Acute and persistent withdrawal syndromes following discontinuation of psychotropic medications. Psychother Psychosom. 2020 Apr 7;1–24. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1159/000506868
  • Cohen D, Récalt A. Discontinuing psychotropic drugs from participants in randomized controlled trials: a systematic review. Psychother Psychosom. 2019;88:96–104.
  • Récalt AM, Cohen D. Withdrawal confounding in randomized controlled trials of antipsychotic, antidepressant, and stimulant drugs, 2000–2017. Psychother Psychosom. 2019;88:105–113.
  • Fava GA, Rafanelli C. Iatrogenic factors in psychopathology. Psychother Psychosom. 2019;88:129–140.
  • Sim K, Lau WK, Sim J, et al. Prevention of relapse and recurrence in adults with major depressive disorder: systematic review and meta-analyses of controlled trials. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015;19:pyv076.
  • Kaymaz N, van Os J, Loonen AJ, et al. Evidence that patients with singleversus recurrent depressive episodes are differentially sensitive to treatment discontinuation: a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized trials. J Clin Psychiatry. 2008;69:1423–1436.
  • Hung CI. Factors predicting adherence to antidepressant treatment. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2014;27:344–349.
  • Carvalho AF, Sharma MS, Brunoni AR, et al. The safety, tolerability and risks associated with the use of newer generation antidepressant drugs: a critical review of the literature. Psychother Psychosom. 2016;85:270–288.
  • Biesheuvel-Leliefeld KE, Kok GD, Bockting CL, et al. Effectiveness of psychological interventions in preventing recurrence of depressive disorder: meta-analysis and meta-regression. J Affect Disord. 2015;174:400–410.
  • Guidi J, Tomba E, Fava GA. The sequential integration of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of the sequential model and a critical review of the literature. Am J Psychiatry. 2016;173:128–137.
  • Guidi J, Tomba E, Cosci F, et al. The role of staging in planning psychotherapeutic interventions in depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2017;78:456–463.
  • Parikh SV, Quilty LC, Ravitz P, et al. Canadian network for mood and anxiety treatments (CANMAT) 2016 clinical guidelines for the management of adults with major depressive disorder: section 2. Psychological treatments. Can J Psychiatry. 2016;61:524–539.
  • Fava GA. Sequential treatment. Psychother Psychosom. 1999;68:227–229.
  • Jarrett RB, Kraft D, Schaffer M, et al. Reducing relapse in depressed outpatients with atypical features: a pilot study. Psychother Psychosom. 2000;69:232–239.
  • Kupfer DJ. Maintenance treatment in recurrent depression: current and future directions: the first william sargant lecture. Br J Psychiatry. 1992;161:309–316.
  • Guidi J, Fava GA. Psychosocial management of treatment resistant mood disorders: current evidence. In: Carvalho AF, McIntyre RS, editors. Treatment resistant mood disorders. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2015. p. 95–105.
  • van Bronswijk S, Moopen N, Beijers L, et al. Effectiveness of psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression: a meta-analysis and meta-regression. Psychol Med. 2019;49:366–379.
  • Weissman MM. Psychotherapy in the maintenance treatment of depression. Br J Psychiatry. 1994;165:42–50.
  • Bockting CL, Hollon SD, Jarrett RB, et al. A lifetime approach to major depressive disorder: the contributions of psychological interventions in preventing relapse and recurrence. Clin Psychol Rev. 2015;41:16–26.
  • Machmutow K, Meister R, Jansen A, et al. Comparative effectiveness of continuation and maintenance treatments for persistent depressive disorder in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;5:CD012855.
  • Jarrett RB, Kraft D, Doyle J, et al. Preventing recurrent depression using cognitive therapy with and without a continuation phase: a randomized clinical trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001;58:381–388.
  • Jarrett RB, Vittengl JR, Clark LA. How much cognitive therapy, for which patients, will prevent depressive relapse? J Affect Disord. 2008;111:185–192.
  • Jarrett RB, Minhajuddin A, Gershenfeld H, et al. Preventing depressive relapse and recurrence in higher-risk cognitive therapy responders: a randomized trial of continuation phase cognitive therapy, fluoxetine, or matched pill placebo. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013;70:1152–1160.
  • de Jonge M, Bockting CL, Kikkert MJ, et al. Preventive cognitive therapy versus care as usual in cognitive behavioral therapy responders: a randomized controlled trial. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2019;87:521–529.
  • Klein DN, Santiago NJ, Vivian D, et al. Cognitive-behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy as a maintenance treatment for chronic depression. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2004;72:681–688.
  • Schulberg HC, Block MR, Madonia MJ, et al. Treating major depression in primary care practice: eight-month clinical outcomes. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996;53:913–919.
  • Frank E, Kupfer DJ, Wagner EF, et al. Efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy as a maintenance treatment for recurrent depression: contributing factors. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991;48:1053–1059.
  • Fava GA, Kellner R. Staging: a neglected dimension in psychiatric classification. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1993;87:225–230.
  • Dunlop BW, LoParo D, Kinkead B, et al. Benefits of sequentially adding cognitive-behavioral therapy or antidepressant medication for adults with nonremitting depression. Am J Psychiatry. 2019;176:275–286.
  • Hollon SD, Thase ME, Markowitz JC. Treatment and prevention of depression. Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2002;3:39–77.
  • Dunlop BW. Evidence-based applications of combination psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for depression. Focus. 2016;14:156–173.
  • Fava GA, Grandi S, Zielezny M, et al. Cognitive behavioral treatment of residual symptoms in primary major depressive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1994;151:1295–1299.
  • Farb N, Anderson A, Ravindran A, et al. Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depressive disorder with either mindfulness-based cognitive therapy or cognitive therapy. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2018;86:200–204.
  • Bockting CLH, Klein NS, Elgersma HJ, et al. Effectiveness of preventive cognitive therapy while tapering antidepressants versus maintenance antidepressant treatment versus their combination in prevention of depressive relapse or recurrence (DRD study): a three-group, multicentre, randomised controlled trial.. Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(5):401–410.
  • Piet J, Hougaard E. The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for prevention of relapse in recurrent major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev. 2011;31:1032–1040.
  • Kuyken W, Hayes R, Barrett B, et al. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared with maintenance antidepressant treatment in the prevention of depressive relapse or recurrence (PREVENT): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2015;386:63–73.
  • Fava GA. Well-being therapy: treatment manual and clinical applications. Basel: Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers; 2016.
  • Rafanelli C, Gostoli S, Buzzichelli S, et al. Sequential combination of cognitive-behavioral treatment and well-being therapy in depressed patients with acute coronary syndromes. Psychother Psychosom. in press.
  • Rotterman E, Wright JH. Well-Being Therapy for recurrent depression and chronic pain. Psychother Psychosom. 2019;88:378–379.
  • Fava GA, Guidi J. The pursuit of euthymia. World Psychiatry. 2020;19:40–50.
  • Stewart JW, Mercier MA, Agosti V, et al. Imipramine is effective after unsuccessful cognitive therapy – sequential use of cognitive therapy and imipramine in depressed outpatients. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1993;13:114–119.
  • Frank E, Grochocinski VJ, Spanier CA, et al. Interpersonal psychotherapy and antidepressant medication: evaluation of a sequential treatment strategy in women with recurrent major depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2000;61:51–57.
  • Schatzberg AF, Rush AJ, Arnow BA, et al. Chronic depression. Medication (nefazodone) or psychotherapy (CBASP) in effective when the other is not. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62:513–520.
  • Dekker J, Van HL, Hendriksen M, et al. What is the best sequential treatment strategy in the treatment of depression? Adding pharmacotherapy to psychotherapy or vice versa? Psychother Psychosom. 2013;82:89–98.
  • Fava GA, Ruini C, Sonino N. Treatment of recurrent depression: a sequential psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological approach. CNS Drugs. 2003;17:1109–1117.
  • Tomba E, Fava GA. Treatment selection in depression: the role of clinical judgment. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2012;35:87–98.
  • Kocsis JH, Leon AC, Markowitz JC, et al. Patient preference as a moderator of outcome for chronic forms of major depressive disorder treated with nefazodone, cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy, or their combination. J Clin Psychiatry. 2009;70:354–361.
  • Mergl R, Henkel V, Allgaier AK, et al. Are treatment preferences relevant in response to serotonergic antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy in depressed primary patients? Psychother Psychosom. 2011;80:39–47.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.