Effects of Euthymic Psychotherapy on Depression

Besides morbid factors, salutary factors have been evermore integrated to describe an individual's or a population's general state of health. Euthymic perception and behaviour modulate these factors to a great degree. The present study evaluates a psychotherapeutic intervention that fosters emotionally positive experience and behaviour and aims at reducing depression by reinforcing an individual's resources and salutary factors. In a randomised controlled group-intervention we compared the effects of Euthymic Psychotherapy (EPT) with conventional psychoeducation in 40 outpatients with Major Depression. Both groups had a 7-week intervention period. Depression severity was measured at baseline as well as after the intervention using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI II). Data were analysed by repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: show a significant decrease of depression severity for both groups. They indicate EPT to be an effective psychotherapeutic treatment for patients with depression. Future validation of our findings will show if EPT is an equal alternative to other effective treatments of depression.