Background: The relative efficacy of psychotherapy and combined therapy in the treatment of depression is still a matter of debate.

Aims: To investigate whether combined therapy has advantages over psychotherapy alone.

Method: A 6-month randomised clinical trial compared Short Psychodynamic Supportive Psychotherapy (n=106) with combined therapy (n=85) in ambulatory patients with mild or moderate major depressive disorder diagnosed using DSM-IV criteria. Antidepressants were prescribed according to a protocol providing four successive steps in case of intolerance or inefficacy: venlafaxine, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, nortriptyline and nortriptyline plus lithium. Efficacy was assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the Clinical Global Impression of Severity and of Improvement, and the depression sub-scale of the Symptom Checklist.

Results: The advantages of combining antidepressants with psychotherapy were equivocal. Neither the treating clinicians nor the independent observers were able to ascertain them, but the patients experienced them clearly.

Conclusions: The advantages of combining antidepressants with psychotherapy are equivocal.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.185.1.37DOI Listing

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