Depression

Although the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for depression is well documented, in some cases the results obtained are not maintained over long periods [19]. This decline is relevant in the study of ST, since the characteristics of depressed patients may explain the failure to maintain therapeutic results over time.holroydtileandstone.com jorgensenfarmsinc.com strømper str 42 jorgensenfarmsinc.com lucianosousa.net שולחנות מתקפלים lucianosousa.net bežecká obuv blutuszos mennyezeti lámpa bežecká obuv שולחנות מתקפלים maison-metal.com Mens VANS 2020 strømper str 42 strømper str 42

The effectiveness of CBT was compared to ST in the treatment of depressive patients [13]. A sample of 100 patients diagnosed with depression was subjected to weekly CBT and ST sessions over six months, followed by monthly sessions for another six months. The results indicated that ST was neither superior nor inferior to CBT. Both treatment modalities achieved the same remission and recovery rates. Considering the intensive and comprehensive nature of the Schema Therapy approach, as well as its effectiveness in treating chronic problems, the authors expected to find lasting changes in the population treated with ST. However, recent studies have shown that ST must be applied over an extended period in order to be effective and achieve its treatment goals. It appears that six months of weekly therapy followed by an additional six months of monthly sessions does not meet the required treatment time. Indeed, when referring to chronic depression several authors have suggested more intensive treatment, reporting that effectiveness increases with the number of sessions [14-20]. Given that this study is the first randomized clinical trial to compare two treatments for depression [13], we suggest that future research include the structure and duration of treatment.

Malogiannis et al. analyzed the duration of therapy and its effectiveness in 12 chronically depressed patients. Treatment took place over 60 sessions, of which 55 were weekly and the last 5, twice-weekly [14]. Patients were assessed four times: baseline (8 weeks prior to intervention), introduction to ST and bond with therapist (session 12 to 16), during treatment, and six months later (follow-up). After treatment, five patients showed reduced symptoms. During the follow-up period only one relapsed, while two others who had initially only improved recovered fully.

The authors suggest that the inclusion of limited reparenting in a comforting setting in the introductory phase (different from the standard structure, in which this phase consists solely of appraisal) is related to the visible positive outcomes [14]. Another point emphasized was the temporary worsening of patients` symptoms during the intermediary phase, in which techniques for schematic changes were used, followed by positive outcomes. According to the authors, all patients with positive outcomes exhibited this pattern of deterioration followed by recovery during treatment.

During the follow-up, the authors found reduced schematic levels of impaired autonomy and/or performance, over vigilance or inhibition, disconnection/rejection, which may be associated with sustained results during these six months. Although hypothetical, this data strengthens the argument that long-term ST can achieve significant levels of cognition (schematic structures), thereby maintaining the clinical improvement obtained [14].

In general, both studies favored ST for depressive disorders. Despite the less robust design of the study by Malogiannis and colleagues [14], which lacks randomization, a control group and significant sample size, preliminary data suggest that ST is effective for chronic depression. In the other investigation, 68% of patients were diagnosed for chronic depression, also indicating the effectiveness ST for this type of disorder [13].