CHANGE IN THYROID-HORMONE LEVELS FOLLOWING RESPONSE TO COGNITIVE THERAPY FOR MAJOR DEPRESSION

Objective: Various somatic antidepressant treatments of depression are associated with substantial but limited decreases in T-4 levels. This study examined changes in patients' thyroid hormone levels during a p eriod of cognitive behavior therapy. Method: Thyroid hormone levels of 30 patients with major depressive disorder were measured before and a fter they received 20 weekly sessions of cognitive behavior therapy. R esults: There were significant decreases in measures of T-4 in the 17 responders to cognitive behavior therapy and increases in the 13 nonre sponders, Conclusions: Cognitive behavior therapy has an effect on the thyroid axis similar to that of somatic antidepressant treatments.