Varieties of Psychotherapy for Major Depressive Disorder in Adults: An Evidence-Based Evaluation

This chapter analyzes the current state of the art of various psychotherapies for major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults, through the lens of David and Montgomery's psychotherapy classification system. These include evidence-based psychotherapies, intervention-driven psychotherapies, theory-driven psychotherapies and investigational psychotherapies. Based on David and Montgomer, "well supported" (i.e., strong supporting evidence) means that a psychotherapy has been empirically supported in at least two rigorous studies, by two different, independent investigators or investigating teams. Understanding key processes in psychotherapies that instigate positive effects can help identify moderators of treatment response and help therapists select patients most suitable for specific interventions. Therefore, psychotherapists can build more personalized, tailored interventions for patient subgroups. These crucial efforts are particularly relevant for the therapy of depression, which is often a chronic, heterogeneous condition, with moderate rates of response to therapy.