When the drugs don’t work
Not only is cognitive therapy (CT) free from the potential side-effects of antidepressants, it also brings longer-lasting benefits. One study looking at relapse rates with severe depression found that those who had stopped medication were more likely to suffer a relapse than those who had stopped CT. This suggests that the benefits of CT had a more enduring effect than antidepressants – so much so as to prevent recurrence (Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2005; 62: 409-16).