Pills or therapy--which is better?

The debate about the strengths and limitations of psychotherapy in the treatment of depression has been bolstered in a critique by Mufioz et al (1994) of the US Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) 'Depression in Primary Care' guidelines. The author's evaluation of the guidelines suggest that psychotherapy alone is more effective than medication and that combined psychotherapy with medication is no more effective than psychotherapy alone. Such data has important implications for the management of depressions in Australia and provides support for the role of the nurse/therapist within the treatment team.