Study shows effectiveness of new talking therapy
In a pilot trial, Augmented Depression Therapy (ADepT) has shown potential to be even more successful than Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in building wellbeing and reducing depression at the end of treatment and over long-term follow-up.
Run by the University of Exeter and funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), the study was the first ever pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating the effects of ADepT in treating anhedonic depression. It showed that, while ADepT and CBT both led to clinically meaningful improvements in depression, wellbeing and all other secondary outcomes, ADepT showed potential to be superior to CBT in the primary wellbeing and depression outcomes and in nearly all secondary outcomes at six-month assessment. These gains were maintained when considering cumulative levels of each outcome across the 18-month trial follow-up.
“Depression is widespread and a significant contributor to global disability, resulting in extensive social and economic costs,” said Barney Dunn, Professor or Clinical Psychology at the University of Exeter. “In ADepT, we encourage clients to take a new perspective on their difficulties, aiming to learn to live well alongside depressed mood.”
A big issue
Government statistics show that, in autumn 2022, around one in 16 adults in the UK were experiencing moderate to severe depressive symptoms. This was similar to the number found in summer 2021, but much higher than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current cost of living crisis has highlighted a possible link between depression and economic hardship. According to the ONS research, one in four adults who were struggling to pay their energy bills had moderate to severe depressive symptoms. That’s around three times the number of bill payers who were having no affordability issues.
An NHS priority
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends psychological therapies as first choice interventions for depression and anxiety disorders. Since 2008, the NHS has trained and employed an increasing number of clinicians, including psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health nurses, who work in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. Around 1.15 million people per year are now assessed by the IAPT programme, with over 600,000 going on to have a course of psychological therapy.
In an interview with Independent Nurse, Chair of the NHSCC’s mental health commissioners network Dr Phil Moore emphasised the key role that those working in frontline healthcare jobs can play in ensuring people with depression have access to talking therapies: “Nurses, like GPs, play a really important part in helping identify people who would benefit from talking therapies and helping to make sure they are referred for treatment, whether through doing this directly or supporting them to self-refer if appropriate.”
