Best depression treatment: The One You Want.

If you are suffering from depression, the most effective treatment may be the one you most want.  Many experts agree that a combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy is the best treatment for severe clinical depression. But not everyone wants or needs both kinds of treatment.  So can there be a “best” treatment for depression? Yes, say researchers at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and the University of Washington in Seattle. It tends to be what patients prefer.

After three months of treatment, 72% of patients matched with their preferred treatment were significantly less depressed than those not matched. Patients who got their preferred treatment also tended to be less depressed after nine months.