Can integrating the Memory Support Intervention into cognitive therapy improve depression outcome? A randomized...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
• Clinical Psychology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Cognitive therapy (CT) is a common treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD).
• Patient recall of treatment content may influence therapeutic outcomes.
• Memory Support Interventions aim to enhance patient memory for therapeutic information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if enhancing patient memory for CT content improves the course of MDD and functional outcomes.
• To compare the efficacy of CT with a Memory Support Intervention versus CT-as-usual.

Main Methods:

• Adults with MDD (N=178) were randomized to CT + Memory Support (n=91) or CT-as-usual (n=87).
• Both interventions consisted of 20-26 sessions over 16 weeks.
• Assessments included memory recall, depressive symptoms, and functional impairment at baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up (6FU).

Main Results:

• Memory recall for past sessions was higher in the CT + Memory Support group immediately post-treatment.
• Both groups showed reductions in depressive symptoms and functional impairment.
• The CT + Memory Support group exhibited significantly lower depression severity (p=0.050) and a greater reduction in unhealthy days (p=0.010) at 6FU compared to CT-as-usual.

Conclusions:

• Memory Support Intervention in CT for MDD demonstrated modest but statistically significant improvements in depression severity and functional outcomes at 6-month follow-up.
• While differences were limited, findings suggest potential benefits of memory support in psychiatric treatment.
• Further research with varied memory supports and longer follow-up is warranted.