A new talking therapy for depression has shown encouraging early signs of being more effective and cheaper to deliver than the current best practice of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
A pilot trial has found Augmented Depression Therapy (ADepT) could be a significant advance in depression care.
A core feature of depression is anhedonia (reduced interest or pleasure) and wellbeing deficits, but current depression psychotherapies like CBT fail to adequately target these components.
The study from the University of Exeter, funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) finds that ADepT pays just as much attention to building wellbeing as it does reducing depressive symptoms.
Professor of clinical psychology, Barney Dunn, from the University of Exeter led the trial and said: “Depression is widespread and a significant contributor to global disability, resulting in extensive social and economic costs.
“Only around 60 per cent of people will recover during our current best treatments like CBT, and about half of those will relapse within two years.
“In ADepT, we encourage clients to take a new perspective to their difficulties, aiming to learn to live well alongside depressed mood.
“The primary goal is to help clients identify what is important to them in key life areas, take steps towards living a life in a way that is consistent with these values, and to take opportunities and manage challenges while they do so that they can experience wellbeing and pleasure.”
Katie has lived experience of ADepT and said: “I’ve got a fairly long history of using mental health services and that’s almost become my identity over the years.
“My focus in treatment before had always been on trying to eliminate symptoms of mental illness.
“ADepT has changed my outlook to help me take steps to gain wellbeing, as well as allowing me to be more authentic and act in a way more aligned to my values. ADepT is helping me make decisions which feel right and giving me more of an identity outside of mental illness, which is amazing.
“I’ve learnt to be able to enjoy the good things in life that give me pleasure, even when I am having a difficult week. It really has changed things for me.”
This study marks the first pilot randomised controlled trial evaluating the effects of ADepT, with 82 adults with moderate to severe depression and exhibiting features of anhedonia taking part.
Participants were assessed by researchers at the beginning of the pilot, as well as after six, 12 and 18 months.
Results suggested that ADepT was definitely not worse than, and showed potential to be better than, CBT at building wellbeing and reducing depression at the end of treatment and over longer-term follow-up.
Results also suggested ADepT was cost-effective, costing the same amount to deliver as CBT but resulting in greater gains in quality of life.
If these findings can be replicated in a subsequent definitive trial, it would suggest that ADepT can have both clinical and economic benefits in healthcare settings.
ADepT has also been designed so that existing CBT therapists will be able to deliver it with minimal additional training.
