As our understanding of the human brain improves, we can offer numerous treatment options for depression patients. Aside from strong drugs, doctors are nowadays using psychotherapy with great success.
It also helps that we can now have sessions over the internet. Signing up for an online psychotherapy clinic gives patients more flexibility when scheduling and rescheduling and allows them to get help from the comfort of their homes.
To improve treatment outcomes, doctors recommend that you combine several approaches. Patients are encouraged to try different clinics and therapy methods until they find the ones that suit them the best. In this article, we’ll go through the best evidence-based treatments for depression and explain what makes them great.
Evidence-Based Methodology for Depression
Evidence-based treatments are meant to provide a customized solution for patients. Before starting the process, the doctor will take into account a person’s needs and preferences. They’ll consider different therapy methods and their own experience in implementing them.
Each of the following treatments has been thoroughly researched and has shown incredible potential for depression:
- Use of drugs
- Interpersonal therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Problem solving therapy
- Assertive community treatment
- Family psychoeducation
- Electroconvulsive therapy
In many cases, psychotherapists will recommend several therapies. Patients might also try different approaches until they find the one that suits them the best.
Use of Drugs
Prescribing drugs is one of the more direct treatment methods. It is ideal for depression patients who are struggling with severe symptoms and are having suicidal thoughts. Nevertheless, most doctors will focus on in-person sessions as they don’t cause extreme side effects as antidepressants.
Interpersonal Therapy
As you could guess from the name, interpersonal therapy examines a patient’s relationships with other individuals. They focus on family and friends, but also any other interaction that might have had a negative impact on their mental health. The main goal here is to establish the root cause of trauma.
Interpersonal therapy tries to analyze a patient’s behavior in different social situations. It evaluates how a person acts toward others and whether these actions lead to interpersonal conflict.
The main goal of interpersonal therapy is to try to improve a patient’s social life. In theory, by building stronger bonds with friends and family, a person will alleviate the feeling of isolation.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, otherwise known as CBT, is one of the most popular treatment approaches for people suffering from this ailment. CBT combines two distinct methodologies in cognitive therapy and behavioral therpapy.
During cognitive therapy, a doctor examines patients’ beliefs and thought processes. This allows psychotherapists to understand better why an individual is behaving the way he/she does. The main goal is to improve a person’s way of thinking so they don’t fall into negative thinking holes.
Behavioral therapy has the same goals, but it approaches them from a different angle. Instead of assessing a person’s beliefs and thoughts, it puts emphasis on their real-world behavior. CBT is meant to address a wide variety of issues through the following mechanisms:
- Changing a person’s behavior.
- Correcting negative thoughts.
- Placing emphasis on healthy, positive activities.
- Addressing negative or inaccurate beliefs.
- Learning various practical skills.
Problem Solving Therapy
Problem solving approach is meant to provide fast results. It addresses small and big issues that a patient is dealing with on a daily basis. A psychiatrist’s main goal is to talk about these problems with a person and try to correct catastrophic attitudes or feelings a person might have.
Patients will be given a set of objectives, which they’re meant to achieve in the quickest time possible. By addressing these minor issues, patients get a sense of control and power. Aside from clinics, community centers and primary care institutions often use this type of therapy.
Assertive Community Treatment
Assertive community treatment, often called by its acronym ACT, is fantastic for extreme cases. ACT might be the optimal approach for individuals who have been hospitalized several times and have exhibited suicidal tendencies.
With assertive community treatment, a single person receives assistance from several medical professionals. A patient will have a team of substance abuse experts, nurses, social workers, and other experts.
The main goal of ACT is to prevent a potential suicide. A person has access to all the resources they might ever need. Furthermore, they have access to these professionals around the clock. Given that ACT is resource-intensive, clinics can only admit a handful of individuals to these programs.
Family Psychoeducation
Most of our problems stem from the family. This is why most psychotherapists suggest that patients’ parents and spouses be involved in the treatment and subsequent healing process. The entire family has to get on the same page to assist the member in dire need.
Among other things, the entire family will take educational sessions and will have to examine the same resources. All members have to get acquainted with communication tactics and coping mechanisms that will improve outcomes for their loved ones.
Electroconvulsive Therapy
ECT is another treatment that is primarily used for critical cases. It is a last-ditch effort to assist a person before their mental state erodes even further. During medical appointments, a person receives surges of electrical current into their brain. These “invasions” usually last for several seconds and will result in a seizure.
The main goal of electroconvulsive therapy is to affect endorphins and serotonin. It is also worth mentioning that ECT is usually conducted in combination with drugs and different types of talk therapies.
Most experts recommend the treatment two or three times a week for several weeks. After that, a patient will go through regular maintenance treatment, which occurs once a week and is slowly reduced over time.
Last Thoughts
Modern depression therapies are thoroughly researched. We know what to expect from each method, which is vital for moderating a patient’s expectations. By using a combination of these therapy approaches, a patient is able to “attack” their problem from several sides, which should ultimately increase the chance of a positive outcome.