From the Literature: Depression

Cost-effectiveness of Therapist-delivered Online Cognitive-behavioural Therapy for Depression: Randomised Controlled Trial

Journal: The British Journal of Psychiatry (October 2010)

Authors: Hollinghurst S, Peters T, Kaur S, et al.

Purpose: To compare usual care to cognitive-behavioral therapy in regards to cost-effectiveness.

Results: When compared with usual care, online cognitive-behavioral therapy delivered in real time by a therapist is likely to be cost-effective as long as society is willing to pay roughly $32,000 per quality-adjusted life-years.

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Internet-delivered Psychotherapy for Depression in Adults

Journal: Current Opinion in Psychiatry (September 4, 2010)

Author: Titov N

Purpose: To review the current status of Internet-delivered psychotherapy (iPT) for treating adults with depression symptoms.

Results: “Recent studies indicate the utility of iPT. Large-scale trials are needed to evaluate optimal strategies for disseminating iPT. Future studies should independently replicate findings and efforts are required to educate patients and health professionals about iPT.”

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Longstanding Disease, Disability or Infirmity and Depression in Primary Care

Journal: Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift (October 1, 2010)

Authors: Rifel J, Svab I, Rotar D, et al.

Purpose: “To assess the prevalence and incidence of depression and likelihood for new-onset depression in patients with self-reported longstanding disease, disability or infirmity in the sample of primary care attendees.”

Results: Among those who reported longstanding disease, prevalence of major depression was 8.9%, compared to a prevalence of 3.1% among those without longstanding disease. Also, among the former group, major depression incidence after 6 months was 2.7%, compared with 0.9% among the latter. Further, patients who had longstanding disease at baseline were nearly four times more like to have major depression at 6 months than participants without longstanding disease at baseline. The authors concluded that these associations are important in the primary care setting.

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