Depression is a painful disease and people suffering from it lead very uncomfortable lives.  Many people have said that it is worse than any other problem they have had.  The scholar Samuel Johnson once said that he would be prepared to have an arm or leg amputated if it would cure his depression.  Living with depression places a person at a much higher risk of attempting suicide.   Cape Town Depression Treatment is an effective way to halt this disorder and provide the patient with strategies to prevent its reoccurance.  Because depression can be treated effectively it is a tragedy that anybody should suffer from it, let alone be lead to suicide.  

Evidence based Cape Town depression treatment

There are many different forms of depression treatment.  In fact this is a billion dollar industry in the United States alone.  Because of the importance of treating this disorder, many clinical trials have been conducted to try and determine treatment or which combination of treatments leads to the best outcomes.  Cape Town depression treatment follows the outcomes of these studies and employs techniques that have a body of evidence showing that they work.

Methods of depression treatment in Cape Town

There are several methods of depression treatment that have been shown to perform moderately better than placebo treatment.  Antidepressant medication, ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), and Lithium (as a preventative measure) have been shown to be among the most effective methods.  Cape Town depression treatment is able to offer all of these therapies under the close supervision of experienced psychiatrists and other doctors.

Typically a Cape Town depression treatment program will include a variety of treatment methods.  In addition to the aforementioned medical interventions they will offer psychotherapy, family therapy, group therapy, and mutal-support groups as part of a comprehensive program.

The effectiveness of treatment method varies depending on how severe the depression is.  A study by Elkin et al (1989) had some surprising results.  For severely depressed patients antidepressant drug therapy is more effective than other methods while cognitive therapy was no better than placebo treatment.  However for less severely depressed patients it was found that placebo therapy was just as effective as regular psychotherapy sessions or antidepressant drug therapy.

Length of Cape Town depression treatment

In ideal situations a Cape Town depression treatment program will last longer than 16 weeks, though not all of this time will be spent as a residential patient.  The American National Institute of Mental Health has suggested that short-term treatment for depression results in a high relapse rate.  A careful treatment program of continuing care and aftercare sessions will improve the clinical outcomes.

Cape Town depression treatment understands that this disorder has both biological and psychological roots that must be treated integratively.  Stress appears to have a very important role in precipitating the first episodes of depression, while genetics and temperament play an important role in the ongoing episodes of depression.  A well rounded approach to Cape Town depression treatment will address all of these factors in a sensible and effective manner.

Psychosocial Cape Town depression treatment

Psychosocial treatment methods are used in Cape Town depression treatment to address the issues of stress and temperament.  Although it is not possible to remove stress from the life of somebody suffering from depression it is possible to equip him/her with the skills and attitude to be able to cope with stress better.  

Medical Cape Town depression treatment

Medication can be used to address the biological roots of depression and psychiatrists in Cape Town depression treatment clinics are experienced in discerning how to accurately diagnose and treat this aspect of the depression.  They will work collaboratively with the team offering psychotherapy so that the treatment is knitted tightly together.

The favourable rand exchange rate makes Cape Town depression treatment a very competitive option when compared to European or British depression treatment.  If you'd like help in choosing an effective depression treatment program please don't delay in contacting us.