Psychodynamic therapy versus cognitive behavioural therapy in treating depression in adults

Abstract

Background: Depression is a common problem worldwide, which affects over 264 million people worldwide. Globally, it is also the leading cause of disability and a barrier to daily function and enjoyment. Therapies, such as CBT and PDT, help in the treatment of depression. This dissertation will systematically search, choose and appraise published articles in relation to the comparative effect of psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy in treating depression in adults. Research question: Is psychodynamic therapy more effective than cognitive behavioural therapy in treating depression in adults? PICO elements: The population (P) was adult persons diagnosed with depression. The intervention (I) was psychodynamic therapy, and the comparison (C) was cognitive behavioural therapy. The outcome studied (O) was treatment of depression. Method of appraisal used: A comprehensive, systematic literature search was carried out using a number of databases and a list of synonyms for each key word, with the help of search tools. A list of inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to refine the search to end up with the key articles used in the dissertation. One inclusion criterion was finding peer-reviewed articles and one exclusion criterion included studies older than 10 years. The only critical appraisal tool used for this dissertation was the CASP tool to appraise the literature. Local experts were contacted with the help of the faculty in order to gain local information on the topic. Results: The search ended with 5 key studies and all of them were Randomized Control Trials. The results from the studies were inconclusive however, some of the articles suggested the combination of both therapies. Overall, in terms of efficacy, the appraised articles leaned more to CBT than to PDT, making CBT slightly more effective. Conclusion: All the results show that both therapies are effective, however there might be the need for future research in order to understand which therapy is more effective and their relationship together in treating depression since the results proved to be inconclusive. Implication and recommendations: Cofounding factors which might have affected the result should be looked into. It is highly recommended that nurses work together with therapists to be able to support any program of care and to indulge themselves in CBT and PDT.