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Outcomes of patients completing and not completing cognitive therapy for depression
Author(s) -
Cahill Jane,
Barkham Michael,
Hardy Gillian,
Rees Anne,
Shapiro David A.,
Stiles William B.,
Macaskill Norman
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
british journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0144-6657
DOI - 10.1348/014466503321903553
Subject(s) - beck depression inventory , depression (economics) , psychology , session (web analytics) , attrition , physical therapy , population , cognitive therapy , clinical psychology , randomized controlled trial , cognition , medicine , psychiatry , anxiety , environmental health , dentistry , world wide web , computer science , economics , macroeconomics
Objectives: The aims of this study were to use symptom intensity measures collected at each session (1) to describe the outcomes of clients who received cognitive therapy (CT) for depression in a clinically representative sample, and (2) to compare the outcomes of clients who completed the agreed number of sessions with those who did not. Design and method: Clients ( N = 58) contracted to attend between 12 and 20 sessions of CT completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) immediately prior to each therapy session. The BDI and other measures were collected at intake and, for those who completed therapy, at a post‐therapy assessment. Results: Completers' BDI scores improved significantly from intake to post‐treatment and significantly more from intake to their final session than did those of non‐completers. However, when non‐completers' final session scores were matched with scores of randomly selected completers at the corresponding session, the difference in improvemen was not significant. A significantly higher proportion of clients who completed the agreed number of sessions achieved reliable and clinically significant change (71.4%, 25/35), compared with just 13% (3/23) of clients who did not. Conclusions: (1) CT for depression can be effective in a clinically representative population. (2) Attrition from clinical trials may bias estimates of treatment effectiveness.