Psychotherapy of depressive disorders : Procedures, evidence and perspectives

• Published in: Nervenarzt 2018-03, Vol.89 (3), p.241-251
• Main Authors: Meister, R, Jansen, A, Berger, M, Baumeister, H, Bschor, T, Harfst, T, Hautzinger, M, Kriston, L, Kühner, C, Schauenburg, H, Schorr, S G, Schneider, F, Härter, M
• Format: Article
• Language: ger
• Subjects: Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - methods; Combined Modality Therapy; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Depressive Disorder - therapy; Diagnosis, Differential; Evidence-Based Medicine; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Psychotherapy - methods; Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic - methods; Quality of Life - psychology; Self Concept; Social Adjustment
• ISSN: 1433-0407
• DOI: 10.1007/s00115-018-0484-6

Depressive disorders are associated with a high burden of suffering and significantly reduce the well-being and the self-esteem of affected patients. Psychotherapy is one of the main treatment options for depressive disorders. The aim of this article is to present the current evidence for antidepressive psychotherapeutic treatments. During the revision of the German S3- and National Disease Management Guideline (NDMG) on unipolar depression in 2015, a comprehensive and systematic evidence search was conducted. The results of this search along with a systematic update are summarized. The most intensively investigated psychotherapeutic method is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which proved to be effective in many trials. Evidence also exists for psychodynamic psychotherapy and interpersonal therapy (IPT), followed by systemic therapy and client-centered psychotherapy; however, the evidence is less robust. Psychotherapy alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy was shown to be an effective treatment option. Psychotherapy represents a key element in the treatment of depressive disorders.