An Evaluation of Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy for Depression in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Twenty depressed multiple sclerotic patients were randomly allocated either to cognitive-behaviour therapy or to a waiting list control condition. Assessment of depressive symptoms was conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and a four-week follow-up. In comparison to the waiting list condition, cognitive-behaviour therapy was found to result in clinically and statistically significant improvement on most measures. Although the mechanism by which such treatment achieves its effects is unclear, these results clearly support the use of cognitive-behavioural treatments for depression in this population.