Abstract
This was a randomized controlled trial, conducted to determine the effectiveness of CBT for depression delivered by trained therapists with an adapted Bengali CBT (BaCBT) manual, as compared to a control group. A total of 148 patients with a diagnosis of depression and attending psychiatry departments of three hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh, were assessed for eligibility, and 107 were randomly allocated to either treatment (n = 54) or a waitlist (n = 53). Assessments of outcome were completed at 3 time points (pre-test, post-test, and 1-month follow-up). The results revealed significant reductions in depression severity, anxiety, perceived stress, and suicidal ideation in the group that received the intervention, but modest to no significant changes in the control group. This is the first report of the results of an adapted CBT program for depression from Bangladesh. Although several limitations of the study are noted, and further studies are needed to generalize these current results, they indicate that CBT is an efficacious treatment option for depression in varied cultures.
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Ara, J., Deeba, F. & Dobson, K.S. A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Major Depression in Bangladesh. J Cogn Ther 16, 222–236 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41811-023-00160-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41811-023-00160-6