Effects of cognitive therapy, drug therapy and combined therapy in improvement of major depression

Abstract

Introduction: Major depression is one of the most common psychological disorders that exert a high impact on the life of patients and their families. There are many treatment methods for depression. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of cognitive-behavior therapy and drug therapy on improvement of major depression. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial was performed in Semnan (Iran) in 2008. 56 Patients with major depression were selected and assigned into 4 groups. All of the patients completed the Beck test and a demographic questionnaire before start of interventions as pre test. The post test was completed after the end of intervention. Results: Findings showed that all of the methods have significant effects on improvement of depression, but combined therapy (cognitive behavioral therapy + drug therapy) is the best (P