Initial severity of depression and efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy: individual-participant data meta-analysis of pill-placebo-controlled trials

Affiliations

¹ Toshi A. Furukawa, MD, PhD, Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior and of Clinical Epidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Erica S. Weitz, MA, Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shiro Tanaka, PhD, Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Steven D. Hollon, PhD, Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Stefan G. Hofmann, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Boston University, Massachusetts, USA; Gerhard Andersson, PhD, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institutet, Stokholm, Sweden; Jos Twisk, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Robert J. DeRubeis, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Sona Dimidjian, PhD, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA; Ulrich Hegerl, MD, PhD, Roland Mergl, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Robin B. Jarrett, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA; Jeffrey R. Vittengl, PhD, Department of Psychology, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, USA; Norio Watanabe, MD, PhD, Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior and of Clinical Epidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Pim Cuijpers, PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands furukawa@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
² Toshi A. Furukawa, MD, PhD, Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior and of Clinical Epidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Erica S. Weitz, MA, Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shiro Tanaka, PhD, Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Steven D. Hollon, PhD, Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Stefan G. Hofmann, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Boston University, Massachusetts, USA; Gerhard Andersson, PhD, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institutet, Stokholm, Sweden; Jos Twisk, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Robert J. DeRubeis, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Sona Dimidjian, PhD, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA; Ulrich Hegerl, MD, PhD, Roland Mergl, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Robin B. Jarrett, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA; Jeffrey R. Vittengl, PhD, Department of Psychology, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, USA; Norio Watanabe, MD, PhD, Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior and of Clinical Epidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Pim Cuijpers, PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

PMID: 28104735
PMCID: PMC5331187
DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.116.187773

Meta-Analysis

Initial severity of depression and efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy: individual-participant data meta-analysis of pill-placebo-controlled trials

Toshi A Furukawa et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2017 Mar.

. 2017 Mar;210(3):190-196.

doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.116.187773. Epub 2017 Jan 19.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Toshi A. Furukawa, MD, PhD, Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior and of Clinical Epidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Erica S. Weitz, MA, Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shiro Tanaka, PhD, Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Steven D. Hollon, PhD, Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Stefan G. Hofmann, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Boston University, Massachusetts, USA; Gerhard Andersson, PhD, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institutet, Stokholm, Sweden; Jos Twisk, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Robert J. DeRubeis, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Sona Dimidjian, PhD, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA; Ulrich Hegerl, MD, PhD, Roland Mergl, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Robin B. Jarrett, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA; Jeffrey R. Vittengl, PhD, Department of Psychology, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, USA; Norio Watanabe, MD, PhD, Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior and of Clinical Epidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Pim Cuijpers, PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands furukawa@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
² Toshi A. Furukawa, MD, PhD, Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior and of Clinical Epidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Erica S. Weitz, MA, Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shiro Tanaka, PhD, Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Steven D. Hollon, PhD, Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Stefan G. Hofmann, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Science, Boston University, Massachusetts, USA; Gerhard Andersson, PhD, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden and Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institutet, Stokholm, Sweden; Jos Twisk, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Robert J. DeRubeis, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Sona Dimidjian, PhD, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA; Ulrich Hegerl, MD, PhD, Roland Mergl, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Robin B. Jarrett, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA; Jeffrey R. Vittengl, PhD, Department of Psychology, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, USA; Norio Watanabe, MD, PhD, Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior and of Clinical Epidemiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Pim Cuijpers, PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

PMID: 28104735
PMCID: PMC5331187
DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.116.187773

Abstract

BackgroundThe influence of baseline severity has been examined for antidepressant medications but has not been studied properly for cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) in comparison with pill placebo.AimsTo synthesise evidence regarding the influence of initial severity on efficacy of CBT from all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in which CBT, in face-to-face individual or group format, was compared with pill-placebo control in adults with major depression.MethodA systematic review and an individual-participant data meta-analysis using mixed models that included trial effects as random effects. We used multiple imputation to handle missing data.ResultsWe identified five RCTs, and we were given access to individual-level data (n = 509) for all five. The analyses revealed that the difference in changes in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression between CBT and pill placebo was not influenced by baseline severity (interaction P = 0.43). Removing the non-significant interaction term from the model, the difference between CBT and pill placebo was a standardised mean difference of -0.22 (95% CI -0.42 to -0.02, P = 0.03, I² = 0%).ConclusionsPatients suffering from major depression can expect as much benefit from CBT across the wide range of baseline severity. This finding can help inform individualised treatment decisions by patients and their clinicians.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interest

T.A.F. has received lecture fees from Eli Lilly, Meiji, Mochida, MSD, Otsuka, Pfizer and Tanabe-Mitsubishi and consultancy fees from Sekisui Chemicals and Takeda Science Foundation. He has received royalties from Igaku-Shoin, Seiwa-Shoten and Nihon Bunka Kagaku-sha publishers. He has received grant or research support from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Japan Foundation for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mochida and Tanabe-Mitsubishi. He is diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. U.H. has received lecture fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Medice Arzneimittel, Novartis and Roche Pharma and was an advisory board member for Lilly, Lundbeck, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Servier and Otsuka Pharma. R.M. has served as a consultant for Nycomed, a Takeda company. R.B.J. received support from the NIMH for the trial cited here (R0MH45043) and is a paid consultant to NIH including the NIMH and to UpToDate. J.R.V. is a paid consultant to UpToDate. N.W. has received royalties from Sogensha and Paquet, and speaker fees and research funds from Asahi Kasei, Dai-Nippon Sumitomo, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Meiji, MSD, Otsuka and Pfizer.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Observed (dots) and estimated (lines) changes in standardised scores on Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) in the cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) and pill-placebo arms.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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1. Cuijpers P, Turner EH, Mohr DC, Hofmann SG, Andersson G, Berking M, et al. Comparison of psychotherapies for adult depression to pill placebo control groups: a meta-analysis. Psychol Med 2013: 1–11. - PubMed
1. Driessen E, Cuijpers P, Hollon SD, Dekker JJ. Does pretreatment severity moderate the efficacy of psychological treatment of adult outpatient depression? A meta-analysis. J Consult Clin Psychol 2010; 78: 668–80. - PubMed
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Initial severity of depression and efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy: individual-participant data meta-analysis of pill-placebo-controlled trials

Affiliations

Initial severity of depression and efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy: individual-participant data meta-analysis of pill-placebo-controlled trials

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

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