THE EFFICACY OF IMIPRAMINE AND PSYCHOTHERAPY IN EARLY-ONSET CHRONIC DEPRESSION - A REANALYSIS OF THE NATIONAL-INSTITUTE-OF-MENTAL-HEALTH TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH-PROGRAM

The authors compared the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Imipramine Clinical Managem ent (ICM) to Placebo Clinical Management (PCM) for outpatients with ea rly-onset chronic depression (N = 65) in the National Institute of Men tal Health (NIMH) Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Progr am (TDRP). The post-treatment depression scores of the CBT, IPT, and I CM groups were not significantly different from the PCM group. We did not find a relationship between the duration of Major Depression and r esponse to a specific treatment. Studies are needed to determine if co mbining psychotherapy with medication improves social functioning and enhances the quality of life for patients with chronic depression. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.