Dear Zenda,
In several other threads I have expressed my opinion that when it comes to healing nothing should be left out, and just about everything helps. However, the premier role that modern pharmacotherapy plays in the management and treatment of mental illness neededs to be emphasized. The other psychological and/or religious and/or philosophical approaches are but secondary ad-jugants.
The reason I object to your posting is because you tend to set your posting in absolute and opposite terms, the proverbial black and white. For example, in addition to this thread, is the one on "are believers more happy than nonbelievers." Perhaps a more "mindful" use of language may serve you interests better.
Also, you place a quote without a reference, and in the context of having a conversation based in facts, quoting information from a non-peer-reviewed publication bears little weight.
The value of psychotherapy alone or in combination with phamacotherapy remains unclear. Below I am posting 3 out to many references.
Kate D
1.- Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Apr 13;(4):CD000524.
WITHDRAWN: Cognitive behaviour therapy versus other psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia.
Jones C, Hacker D, Meaden A, Cormac I, Irving CB.
School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK, B15 2TT. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Trail-based evidence suggests no clear and convincing advantage for cognitive behavioral therapy over other and sometime much less sophisticated therapies for people with schizophrenia.
2.- Riv Psichiatr. 2011 Jan-Feb;46(1):18-23.
[Effectiveness of cognitive-associated with behavioral therapy psychopharmacological depression. Literature review meta-analyses].
Minelli A, Zambello F, Vaona A.
IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli, Brescia.
aminelli@fatebenefratelli.itAbstract
AIM: The main focus is to analyze meta-analyses literature inherent the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with pharmacological therapy in the treatment of depression in adults rather than pharmacological therapy alone.
METHODS: Systematic research via PubMed, fixed subset criteria.
RESULTS: The methanalitic review underlie that the combination of CBT with drug therapy is significantly more effective compared to single pharmacological treatment in adult depression in terms of clinical response and symptomatic improvement. In addition the CBT improves adherence to treatment and reduces the risk of relapse.
DISCUSSION: Even though there is only a moderate evidence that combined therapy (pharmacological plus CBT treatment) is better than pharmacological treatment alone on depressive symptoms, the results support the important impact on NHS policies, allowing future implementation of CBT therapy in public services.
3.- Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010 Sep;33(3):687-99.
Augmentation of cognitive behavioral therapy with pharmacotherapy.
Ganasen KA, Ipser JC, Stein DJ.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.
keithganasen@gmail.comAbstract
There has long been interest in combining pharmacotherapy with psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). More recently, basic research on fear extinction has led to interest in augmentation of CBT with the N-methyl Daspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor partial agonist D-cycloserine (DCS) for anxiety disorders. In this article, the literature on clinical trials that have combined pharmacotherapy and CBT is briefly reviewed, focusing particularly on the anxiety disorders. The literature on CBT and DCS is then systematically reviewed. A series of randomized placebo-controlled trials on panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobia suggest that low dose DCS before therapy sessions may be more effective compared with CBT alone in certain anxiety disorders. The strong translational foundation of this work is compelling, and the positive preliminary data gathered so far encourage further work. Issues for future research include delineating optimal dosing, and demonstrating effectiveness in real-world settings
