Study to help depression sufferers extended

Thursday, January 221,5, 2009

Study to help depression sufferers extended

A Massey University study to understand how cognitive behaviour therapy works in treating depression is being extended, so more people can benefit.

Dr Kazantzis, a clinical psychologist leading the New Zealand division of an international research project on cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) at Massey’s Centre for Psychology at Albany, says participants experiencing depression for the first time have benefited significantly from free sessions run through the trial.

Despite increased public awareness of depression through a successful advertising campaign fronted by ex-All Black John Kirwan, many people are unable to access treatment for depression until they reach crisis point, he says.

“The limited psychology services within the public health system often means psychologists' expertise is not available to those who cannot afford private care. Consequently, many people do not have the opportunity to receive the best possible care,” he says.

CBT enables people how to become their own therapists by teaching them skills so they can deal better with difficult situations and the painful emotions they trigger, he says. It has become a mainstream therapy in the USA, UK and Europe since it was developed by American-born psychiatrist Dr Aaron Beck in the 1960s, but is still relatively new to New Zealand.

Dr Kazantis and a team, including Professor Janet Leathem at Massey’s Wellington campus and Associate Professor Paul Merrick at the Albany campus, are offering up to 20 free individual sessions for people aged 18 to 65 who are currently experiencing depression for the first time and who are not taking medication or involved in other “talk” therapies. Numbers are limited and specific criteria for participation applies.

Data from therapy sessions is being included in a collaborative international study involving Harvard University and the London Institute of Psychiatry’ researchers, in a bid to better understand the dynamics of CBT and how it alleviates depression symptoms as well as preventing recurrences of depression.

Dr Kazantzis, who trained under Dr Beck several years ago, is an international authority who is about to release his third book on CBT and who organises seminars and workshops around the world on the subject.

He believes the therapy is particularly well suited to New Zealanders because it offers immediate, practical help in coping with the present and does not necessarily require clients to embark on in-depth analysis of their pasts to be effective. It is also adaptable across diverse cultures.

About 121 million people worldwide suffer from depression but fewer than 25 per cent have access to effective treatment, according to the World Health Organisation. Depression is the fourth-highest contributor to the global burden of disease, and is expected to become the second highest by 2020.

ENDS

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