Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

 

therapy-sessionDepression is one of the most common forms of psychiatric disorder. It can occur at any time of life and it may affect children and adolescents as well as the elderly. However, depression can usually be suitably managed with the help of cognitive behavioral therapy. Researchers based at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have been able to demonstrate both the efficacy and the extent of the beneficial effect of routine psychotherapeutic treatment for depression. Although controlled clinical studies have already shown that behavioral therapy is extremely effective in depressive disorders, there were still doubts among professionals that the results of this research could be directly applied to the kinds of routine therapy that could be provided in the environment of the normal psychotherapy practice. “We have been able to prove that behavioral therapy is also of considerable value under these conditions,” states psychologist Amrei Schindler of the Outpatient Policlinic for Psychotherapy of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. “Although our results were not quite as positive as those reported from randomized controlled trials.”

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A survey by the Royal College of GPs has revealed that only 15% of GPs can usually get psychological therapy for adults who need it within two months of referral. For children the figure is only 6%.

The survey, detailed overleaf, was carried out as part of a new Campaign calling for better access to psychological therapies, spearheaded by the mental health charity Mind and the economist Professor Lord Richard Layard, with support from the RCGP, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the New Savoy Partnership.

Launched at Westminster, the campaign challenges all of the political parties to make a guarantee in their election manifestos to offer, within five years, evidence-based psychological therapies to all who need them within 28 days of requesting referral. [continue reading…]

The Independent today tackles the accessibility of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT):

Why are we asking this now?

There is growing frustration among GPs at the difficulty they face in providing psychological therapy for patients with mental problems including depression.
A survey by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) published at the weekend found almost two-thirds of respondents said they were “rarely” able to obtain treatment for patients within two months. Getting help for children who had suffered abuse or trauma was even more difficult. Professor Steve Field, the president of the RCGP, said: “People should have access to approved treatments, and this has to be a wake-up call.
link to read the full article

Source: The Independent