Use of antidepressants among depressed treated with internet-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

Abstract

Purpose: To study use of antidepressants, quality of life and progress of depression among patients in primary care, with mild to moderate depression, during internet-based CBT compared to treatment as usual (TAU). Theory: Around 70% of all patients with mild-moderate depression are treated in primary care. Eight per cent of women and 5% of men in the Swedish population use antidepressants. Methods: In an RCT, patients with mild-moderate depression treated with internet-based CBT were compared to TAU. In both groups, some individuals received antidepressant during 3 months. Baseline and 3 month BDI-II, Euro Qol 5D, and use of antidepressants was followed. Findings: In the internet-CBT- group, 3 out 24 individuals used antidepressant, and 8 out of 33 in the control group (p= 0.36). After three months antidepressants was reduced to 1 out of 24 in the internet CBT group and increased to 15 out of 33 (p= 0.008) in control group. There were no differences concerning increase in quality of life and decrease of depression. Discussion: Use of antidepressants decreased in the CBT-group and increased in the control group. This indicates that internet CBT gives the patient an instrument to handle the depression and does not need the support of antidepressant.