THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION WITH GROUP BEHAVIORAL-COGNITIVE THERAPY AND IMIPRAMINE

Twenty-four outpatients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depressio n were assigned to group behavioural-cognitive therapy either with or without antidepressant medication (imipramine). Eighteen patients comp leted 15 weekly sessions of treatment. Equivalent improvement was obse rved in both regimens after treatment. The results essentially maintai ned at six months follow-up. This suggests that a group format of beha vioural-cognitive therapy is a viable therapeutic intervention for out patients diagnosed as suffering from major depression. However, the ad dition of imipramine to group behavioural-cognitive therapy did not en hance the outcome.