Clinical trial NCT00118404: Cognitive Therapy for Recurrent Depression
Official title: Prophylactic Cognitive Therapy for Depression.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Depression
Keywords: Cognitive therapy
Antidepressants
Psychotherapy
Lead sponsor: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
First posted: 2005-07-11
Enrollment: 523
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 70
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This study determined the effectiveness of continuation phase cognitive therapy versus antidepressant medication in preventing relapse of depression in people with recurrent depression.

Detailed description: Cognitive therapy (CT) is a short-term talking therapy that focuses on changing negative thinking patterns and helping patients develop coping skills to deal with their experiences. Evidence suggests that CT is effective in treating a number of psychiatric conditions, including anxiety and anger. This study will determine the effectiveness of cognitive therapy versus antidepressant medication or placebo in preventing relapse of depression in people with recurrent depression.

This study lasted approximately 36 months and comprised three phases. For the first 12 weeks, all participants received between 16 and 20 CT sessions. Participants were then randomly assigned to receive additional CT sessions, antidepressants, or placebo for an additional 8 months. Upon completing treatment, participants entered follow-up study visits once every 4 months for the next 24 months. Clinician-rated scales and questionnaires were used to assess depressive symptoms of participants at study start and at the end of each study phase.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Recurrent unipolar major depressive disorder
* Have experienced at least two episodes of major depression
* Have experienced at least one period of recovery during a depressive episode or have a history of dysthymia (a mood disorder characterized by depression) prior to the onset of current or past depressive episodes
* Willing and able to comply with all study requirements
* Able to speak and read English

Exclusion Criteria:

* Active alcohol or other substance dependence within 6 months prior to study entry
* Currently at risk for suicide
* Mood disorders due to a medical condition or substance abuse
* Bipolar, schizoaffective, obsessive compulsive, or eating disorders
* Schizophrenia
* Unable to stop mood-altering medications
* Current use of medication or diagnosis of a medical disorder that may cause depression (e.g., diabetes, head injury, stroke, cancer, multiple sclerosis)
* Previous failure to experience a reduction in depressive symptoms after 8 weeks of cognitive therapy with a certified therapist
* Previous failure to experience a reduction in depressive symptoms after 6 weeks of 40 mg of Prozac
* Pregnancy or plan to become pregnant in the next 11-12 months
* Unable to attend clinic twice weekly during business hours
* Unable to complete questionnaires

Primary outcomes:
measure: Depressive Relapse or MDD
timeFrame: Measured at month 8
measure: Depressive Relapse/Recurrence or MDD
timeFrame: Measured at month 20
measure: Depressive Relapse/Recurrence or MDD
timeFrame: Measured at month 32
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Pittsburgh
country: United States
facility: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
state: Pennsylvania
city: Dallas
country: United States
facility: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
name: Robin B. Jarrett, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Jarrett RB, Thase ME. Comparative efficacy and durability of continuation phase cognitive therapy for preventing recurrent depression: design of a double-blinded, fluoxetine- and pill placebo-controlled, randomized trial with 2-year follow-up. Contemp Clin Trials. 2010 Jul;31(4):355-77. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2010.04.004. Epub 2010 May 6.
citation: Jarrett RB, Vittengl JR, Clark LA, Thase ME. Skills of Cognitive Therapy (SoCT): a new measure of patients' comprehension and use. Psychol Assess. 2011 Sep;23(3):578-86. doi: 10.1037/a0022485.
citation: Dunn TW, Vittengl JR, Clark LA, Carmody T, Thase ME, Jarrett RB. Change in psychosocial functioning and depressive symptoms during acute-phase cognitive therapy for depression. Psychol Med. 2012 Feb;42(2):317-26. doi: 10.1017/S0033291711001279. Epub 2011 Jul 25.
citation: Smits JA, Minhajuddin A, Thase ME, Jarrett RB. Outcomes of acute phase cognitive therapy in outpatients with anxious versus nonanxious depression. Psychother Psychosom. 2012;81(3):153-60. doi: 10.1159/000334909. Epub 2012 Mar 3.
citation: Renner F, Jarrett RB, Vittengl JR, Barrett MS, Clark LA, Thase ME. Interpersonal problems as predictors of therapeutic alliance and symptom improvement in cognitive therapy for depression. J Affect Disord. 2012 May;138(3):458-67. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2011.12.044. Epub 2012 Feb 4.
citation: Jarrett RB, Minhajuddin A, Borman PD, Dunlap L, Segal ZV, Kidner CL, Friedman ES, Thase ME. Cognitive reactivity, dysfunctional attitudes, and depressive relapse and recurrence in cognitive therapy responders. Behav Res Ther. 2012 May;50(5):280-6. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2012.01.008. Epub 2012 Feb 21.
citation: Brandon AR, Minhajuddin A, Thase ME, Jarrett RB. Impact of reproductive status and age on response of depressed women to cognitive therapy. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2013 Jan;22(1):58-66. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2011.3427.
citation: Jarrett RB, Minhajuddin A, Kangas JL, Friedman ES, Callan JA, Thase ME. Acute phase cognitive therapy for recurrent major depressive disorder: who drops out and how much do patient skills influence response? Behav Res Ther. 2013 May;51(4-5):221-30. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2013.01.006.
citation: Jarrett RB, Minhajuddin A, Gershenfeld H, Friedman ES, Thase ME. Preventing depressive relapse and recurrence in higher-risk cognitive therapy responders: a randomized trial of continuation phase cognitive therapy, fluoxetine, or matched pill placebo. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013 Nov;70(11):1152-60. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.1969.
citation: Vittengl JR, Clark LA, Thase ME, Jarrett RB. Nomothetic and idiographic symptom change trajectories in acute-phase cognitive therapy for recurrent depression. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2013 Aug;81(4):615-26. doi: 10.1037/a0032879. Epub 2013 Apr 29.
citation: Vittengl JR, Clark LA, Thase ME, Jarrett RB. Replication and extension: separate personality traits from states to predict depression. J Pers Disord. 2014 Apr;28(2):225-46. doi: 10.1521/pedi_2013_27_117. Epub 2013 Jun 20.
citation: Callan JA, Kazantzis N, Park SY, Moore CG, Thase ME, Minhajuddin A, Kornblith S, Siegle GJ. A Propensity Score Analysis of Homework Adherence-Outcome Relations in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression. Behav Ther. 2019 Mar;50(2):285-299. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2018.05.010. Epub 2018 Jun 5.
citation: Brown GK, Thase ME, Vittengl JR, Borman PD, Clark LA, Jarrett RB. Assessing cognitive therapy skills comprehension, acquisition, and use by means of an independent observer version of the Skills of Cognitive Therapy (SoCT-IO). Psychol Assess. 2016 Feb;28(2):205-13. doi: 10.1037/pas0000080. Epub 2015 Sep 7.
citation: Horner MS, Siegle GJ, Schwartz RM, Price RB, Haggerty AE, Collier A, Friedman ES. C'mon get happy: reduced magnitude and duration of response during a positive-affect induction in depression. Depress Anxiety. 2014 Nov;31(11):952-60. doi: 10.1002/da.22244. Epub 2014 Mar 18.