Adding cognitive therapy to antidepressant medications decreases suicidal ideation

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Both psychotherapy and antidepressant medications are known to reduce suicidal ideation.
• Previous research has not determined if combining psychotherapy with antidepressant medications offers additional benefits for reducing suicidal ideation compared to medication alone.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether adding cognitive therapy to antidepressant medications further reduces suicidal ideation in adults with depression compared to antidepressant medications alone.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical trial involving 452 participants treated for 7 months.
• Participants received either antidepressant medications or a combination of antidepressant medications and cognitive therapy.
• Suicidal ideation was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) suicide items, analyzed with Bayesian generalized linear mixed models.

Main Results:

• Suicidal ideation decreased in both treatment groups.
• Participants receiving combined treatment showed a statistically significant 17% greater reduction in suicidal ideation on the BDI compared to those on medication alone.
• A smaller, non-significant 7% greater reduction was observed on the HDRS, with a marginally significant 9% greater reduction when both scales were combined.

Conclusions:

• Combining cognitive therapy with antidepressant medications may lead to greater reductions in suicidal ideation than antidepressant medications alone.
• This combination therapy could be a preferred treatment option for individuals experiencing suicidal ideation.
• Further research is needed to replicate these findings.