Cognitive-behavior therapy for chronically depressed patients. A controlled pilot study.

In a pilot study, 12 chronically depressed outpatients who had been unresponsive to other forms of somatic and psychotherapy were alternately assigned in order of referral either to cognitive-behavior therapy twice weekly for 10 weeks or to a waiting list control condition for 10 weeks (N = 6 per condition). Outcome was evaluated by changes in social skills and depressive affect measured by self-report inventories, independent clinical ratings, and direct behavioral observation. By the end of treatment, the treated group but not the control group had improved significantly in depression, anxiety, and two indices of social skills. At 6-month follow-up, compared to pretreatment, the treated group remained significantly improved in anxiety and the indices of social skills. In our small sample, treated patients did not differ significantly from waiting list controls on any measure of outcome.