NIMH TDCRP
NIMH Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program
Patient / Population Intervention / Exposure Comparison Outcome
In 250 outpatients with major depression, 16 weeks of cognitive therapy or interpersonal psychotherapy achieved the same acute response as imipramine + clinical management or pill placebo + clinical management.
N
250patients
Design
4-arm RCT, USA
Endpoint
HRSD and BDI response at 16 weeks
Relevance
1Practice-defining — the trial the guideline rests on.
ResultAll active arms equivalent overall; in severe depression IPT and imipramine trended above CBT.
Elkin I, et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989;46(11):971-982. 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810110013002
Cited in guidelines
Discussion & critique
Founding multicentre psychotherapy RCT; severity-by-treatment interaction prompted the modern debate over CBT for severe MDD.