Are Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy Superior to Less-focused, Supportive Therapy?
Many people tend to take for granted that the modern psychotherapies designed specifically for depression are an improvement over old-fashioned supportive therapy. The argument is based on the appealing notion that focusing on problems associated specifically with the illness of depression (automatic thoughts or interpersonal problems) is more efficient and effective than providing support, education and reassurance. In fact, it is not at all clear that this is true. Psychotherapy research has generally shown that therapies based on very different theories tend to produce roughly the same clinical results. There must be common elements in all forms of psychotherapy that account for this — elements that have nothing to do with theory or specific technique. Let’s look at these . . . Patients Sometimes Say to Me: I Want to Learn How to Deal With My Problems on My Own. Isn’t Medication Just a Crutch? Nothing is further from the truth. This belief is based on the assumption that you could
