ArticleBMJ mental health2023
Symptom-specific effects of counselling for depression compared to cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Article in BMJ mental health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Optimizing just-in-time adaptive interventions for interpersonal distress: mechanisms, prediction, and the challenge of engagement.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Beyond total depressive symptoms: Differential associations between depressive domains, HIV status and disease characteristics.Journal of psychosomatic research · 2025Article
- Depressive symptoms during the transition to adolescence: Left hippocampal volume as a marker of social context sensitivity.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024Article
- Towards precision in the diagnostic profiling of patients: leveraging symptom dynamics as a clinical characterisation dimension in the assessment of major depressive disorder.The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science · 2024Article
- Examining bi-directional change in sleep and depression symptoms in individuals receiving routine psychological treatment.Journal of psychiatric research · 2023Article
- The bi-directional influence of social functioning and mental health symptoms during psychological treatment: A cross-lagged analysis in young adults.International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHPArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and counselling for depression (CfD) are recommended first-line treatments for depression. While they approach change differently, there is little understanding of the impact those approaches have on change during treatment.
objectivesThis study aimed to identify whether CBT and CfD target different symptoms and explore the implications of modelling choices when quantifying change during treatment.
methodsSymptom-specific effects of treatment were identified using moderated network modelling. This was a retrospective cohort study of 12 756 individuals who received CBT or CfD for depression in primary/community care psychological therapy services in England. Change was modelled several ways within the whole sample and a propensity score matched sample (n=3446).
findingsCBT for depression directly affected excessive worry, trouble relaxing and apprehensive expectation and had a stronger influence on changes between suicidal ideation and concentration. CfD had a stronger direct influence on thoughts of being a failure and on the associated change between being an easily annoyed and apprehensive of expectation. There were inconsistencies when modelling change using the first and second appointments as the baseline. Residual score models produced more conservative findings than models using difference scores.
conclusionsCfD and CBT for depression have differential effects on symptoms demonstrating specific mechanisms of change. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: CBT was uniquely associated with changes in symptoms associated with anxiety and may be better suited to those with anxiety symptoms comorbid to their depression. When assessing change, the baseline should be the first therapy session, not the pretreatment assessment. Residual change scores should be preferred over difference score methods.
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