Behavioral activation as effective as CBT for depression, at lower cost

I think a combination would be even better. Those who are self-aware could learn to do this on themselves, w/o necessarily needing the expense of a therapist, although a good therapist could probably help the process.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/uoe-baa072116.php

Public Release: 22-Jul-2016
Behavioral activation as effective as CBT for depression, at lower cost
University of Exeter

A simple and inexpensive therapy is equally as effective at treating depression as the "gold standard" of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), a largescale study has concluded.

Behavioural Activation (BA) is relatively simple, meaning it can be delivered by more junior staff with less training, making it a cost-effective option. It is around 20 per cent cheaper than CBT, meaning it could help ease current difficulties in accessing therapy, and could make it more realistic to deliver for a wider range of countries worldwide. BA encourages people to focus on meaningful activities driven by their own personal values as a way of overcoming depression.

•••••

Behavioural activation is an 'outside in' treatment that focusses on helping people with depression to change the way they act. BA helps people make the link between their behaviour and their mood. Therapists help people to seek out and experience more positive situations in their lives. The treatment also helps people reduce the amount of times they avoid difficult situations and helps them find alternatives to unhelpful habitual behaviours.

In contrast, CBT is an 'inside out' treatment where therapists focus on the way a person thinks. Therapists help people to identify and challenge their thoughts and beliefs about themselves, the world and their future. CBT helps people to identify and modify negative thoughts and the beliefs that give rise to them.

A year after the start of treatment, BA was found to be non-inferior (not worse than) than CBT, with around two-thirds of participants in both groups reporting at least a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms. Participants in both groups also reported similar numbers of depression free days and anxiety diagnoses, and were equally likely to experience remission. Cost of delivery for BA therapy was found to be around 20% cheaper than CBT.

In line with other trials of a similar nature, drop-out rates were around 20% and around a third of participants in both groups did not attend the minimum number of therapy sessions.

•••••