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Summary Table of the Main Psychological Therapies for Depression

Therapy Approach Indications Contraindications Advantages Disadvantages
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Integrates cognitive and behavioral techniques to modify dysfunctional patterns. Mild to moderate depression; effective as monotherapy or combined with medication. Low motivation or marked cognitive impairment. Structured, standardized, problem-focused. Requires active commitment and continuity.
Behavior Therapy Stimulates rewarding behaviors and environmental interaction. Anhedonia, apathy, social withdrawal; useful in combination or as an initial step. Intrusive depressive thoughts or marked suicidal ideation. Simple to apply; useful for early reactivation. Does not address deep cognitive content.
Cognitive Therapy Restructures negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional beliefs. Prominent cognitive distortions; used in monotherapy or combination. Difficulties with introspection or abstract thinking. Targeted and based on validated models. Less effective with passive or unreflective patients.
Interpersonal Therapy Focuses on loss, conflict, and relational transitions. Postpartum, grief-related, or relational depression; effective as monotherapy or with medication. Poor emotional insight or severe isolation. Time-limited, focused, relational. Requires emotional awareness and introspection.
Brief Psychodynamic Therapy Explores unconscious conflicts and early relational dynamics. Reactive or situational depression; used in combination with pharmacotherapy. Disorganized functioning or concrete thinking. Promotes emotional processing and identity continuity. Slower response; requires consistency and reflection.
Problem-Solving Therapy Teaches adaptive strategies to manage practical and stressful problems. Reactive depression; effective as monotherapy or in primary care settings. Severe anergia or major decisional blocks. Brief, pragmatic, easy to implement. Limited impact on deep or recurrent affective disorders.
Metacognitive Therapy Targets rumination, hypervigilance, and excessive mental control. Persistent rumination or comorbid anxiety; effective alone or in combination. Cognitive rigidity or poor metacognitive awareness. Focused on transdiagnostic mechanisms. Requires abstraction and active collaboration.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Promotes acceptance of inner experiences and value-driven actions. Chronic or resistant depression, somatic or avoidant features; used alone or in combination. Low emotional tolerance, resistance to awareness. Enhances psychological flexibility and value-based motivation. Can be abstract or frustrating for certain patients.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Combines meditation and non-judgmental awareness to prevent relapse. Maintenance or partial remission phase; used in combination with CBT or medication. Acute depression, psychosis, dissociation. Improves attentional control and relapse prevention. Less effective in acute phases; requires consistent practice.
Music Therapy Uses sound and musical expression to facilitate emotional processing. Depression in elderly, youth, or non-verbal patients; adjunctive to other therapies. Psychotic states, sound phobias, emotional dysregulation. Non-verbal; accessible to less verbally engaged patients. Strongly dependent on therapist-patient relationship.
Pet Therapy Improves emotional well-being through structured animal interaction. Depression with social withdrawal; supportive alongside other treatments. Animal allergies, phobias, oppositional behaviors. Stimulates empathy and relational motivation. Not a standalone treatment; context-dependent efficacy.
Reminiscence Therapy Uses autobiographical narration to strengthen identity and emotional integration. Geriatric depression, unresolved grief; used in combination. Severe cognitive decline, aphasia, low adherence. Enhances self-continuity and affective integration. Not suitable for acute depression or advanced dementia.
    Refernces
  1. Cuijpers P et al. Psychological treatment of depression: a meta-analytic database of randomized studies. BMC Psychiatry. 16, 2016: 316.
  2. Beck AT et al. Cognitive therapy of depression. Guilford Press. 1979.
  3. Jacobson NS et al. Behavioral activation treatment for depression: returning to contextual roots. Clin Psychol Sci Pract. 8(3), 2001: 255–270.
  4. Weissman MM et al. The efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy for depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 47(12), 1990: 1002–1008.
  5. Driessen E et al. The efficacy of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy for depression: a meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev. 30(1), 2010: 25–36.
  6. Mynors-Wallis L et al. Problem-solving treatment for persistent depression in primary care. Br J Psychiatry. 170, 1997: 293–299.
  7. Wells A. Metacognitive therapy for anxiety and depression. Guilford Press. 2009.
  8. Hayes SC et al. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: model, processes and outcomes. Behav Res Ther. 44(1), 2006: 1–25.
  9. Segal ZV et al. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for depression. Guilford Press. 2002.
  10. Gold C et al. Music therapy for depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 1, 2009: CD004517.
  11. Kamioka H et al. Effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy. Complement Ther Med. 22(2), 2014: 371–390.
  12. Subramaniam P et al. Reminiscence therapy for depression in older adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 3, 2014: CD001120.