Doctors use drugs - and not the 'talking cures' - for treating depression

07 August 2009

When it comes to treating depression, doctors are turning to powerful drugs rather than to the ‘talking cures’, even though they’ve been proven to be more effective.

Antidepressant drug prescriptions doubled in the 10 years to 2005, according to data from America. Powerful antipsychotic drug usage also increased, but psychotherapy and other talking cures such as cognitive behavioural therapy nearly halved. Of the 27 million Americans diagnosed with depression, just 19 per cent were offered any form of therapy.

During the period of the study, several new antidepressants were launched, which suggests doctors were being lobbied by the manufacturers to prescribe.

(Source: Archives of General Psychiatry, 2009; 66: 848).

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