Psychotherapy of persistent depressive disorders - Are disorder-specific approaches more effective?

Chronic depression is a highly prevalent and particularly disabling disorder. Due to the duration and a variety of complicating factors, chronic depression counts as difficult-to-treat. In treatment guidelines, a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants is recommended for the treatment of persistent depressive disorders. Among different forms of psychotherapy, a disorder-specific treatment with the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) proved superior over other and more unspecific approaches. CBASP focuses on the special needs of chronic forms of depression such as early trauma, high comorbidity rates, and marked avoidance behavior. A longer term treatment with CBASP led to better outcomes.