Adapted behavior therapy for persistently depressed primary care patients: an open trial

Major depressive disorder is commonly treated in primary care settings. Psychotherapy occurring in primary care should take advantage of the unique aspects of the setting and must adapt to the problems and limitations of the setting. In this open trial, the authors used a treatment development model to adapt behavior therapy for primary care patients (n = 12) with persistent symptoms of depression, despite antidepressant medication treatment. Ten of 12 participants completed 10 sessions of therapy over the course of 4 months, and all endorsed high levels of treatment satisfaction. Participants' depression scores declined significantly over time, and 75% of participants experienced at least 50% change on a self-report measure of depression symptoms. There were trends for social functioning, pain, and general health perceptions to improve over time. These results highlight the acceptability and feasibility of adapting behavior therapy for primary care, and support the continuation of this research.