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A Comparison of Cognitive and Dynamic Therapy for Depression in Community Settings

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University of Pennsylvania

Status

Completed

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder

Treatments

Behavioral: Cognitive Therapy
Behavioral: Supportive-Expressive Psychodynamic Therapy

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT01207271
R01HS018440

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this study is to compare supportive-expressive therapy, a type of psychodynamic psychotherapy, with cognitive therapy for the treatment of depression in community mental health consumers.

Hypothesized mediators of treatment will also be examined.

Full description

The goal of this study is to conduct a randomized, comparative, non-inferiority clinical trial that tests the hypothesis that a widely used form of manualized dynamic psychotherapy (supportive-expressive psychodynamic therapy) is not inferior to cognitive therapy when implemented in community mental health settings for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The specific aims are (1) to conduct a randomized non-inferiority trial to compare supportive-expressive psychodynamic therapy and cognitive therapy for patients with MDD and (2) to assess the comparative effectiveness of supportive-expressive psychodynamic therapy and cognitive therapy on secondary measures of symptoms, patient functioning, and quality of life.

Patient mediators of outcome will also be examined through an additional grant awarded to Paul Crits-Christoph, Ph.D. This grant was funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health - RO1MH092363-01. This grant is entitled:"The mechanisms of cognitive and dynamic therapy in community settings."

Recruitment will occur solely through community mental health clinics in and around Philadelphia.

Enrollment

237 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 65 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  • Confirmed diagnosis of major depressive disorder
  • Able to read at the 4th grade level or higher
  • Willingness to be randomized and participate in research

Exclusion criteria

  • Current or past diagnosis of schizophrenia, seizure disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic features, or clinically significant organic pathology
  • Significant suicidal risk/ideation requiring immediate referral for more intensive treatment, or specific gesture in the last 6 months
  • Current substance abuse or dependence requiring immediate referral to substance abuse program
  • Acute medical problem requiring immediate inpatient treatment
  • Need for referral to a partial hospitalization program

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

237 participants in 2 patient groups

Cognitive Therapy
Experimental group
Treatment:
Behavioral: Cognitive Therapy
Dynamic Therapy
Experimental group
Treatment:
Behavioral: Supportive-Expressive Psychodynamic Therapy

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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