Can More Frequent Therapy Sessions Help Treat Depression Better?

What you need to know

• Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting about 13% of people at some point in their lives
• Having therapy sessions twice per week instead of once may lead to faster improvement
• A new treatment approach focusing on changing unhelpful expectations shows promise for depression

The Current Challenge with Depression Treatment

Imagine trying to learn a new language. Would you make faster progress with lessons once a week or twice a week? This same question applies to therapy for depression. While we know therapy can help people recover from depression, there’s ongoing debate about how to make it most effective. One key question is whether having sessions more frequently could help people get better faster.

The Role of Expectations in Depression

Our expectations shape how we see the world and influence our behavior in powerful ways. People with depression often develop unhelpful expectations - they might expect social rejection, believe they can’t handle difficult situations, or doubt their ability to feel better. These negative expectations can become self-fulfilling prophecies that maintain depression, even when there’s evidence that contradicts them.

A New Treatment Approach

The researchers are testing an innovative therapy approach called Expectation Focused Psychological Interventions (EFPI). This treatment specifically targets rigid negative expectations that keep depression going. Rather than just challenging negative thoughts, it helps people understand how their expectations influence their experiences and teaches them to be more flexible in updating their expectations when they encounter new evidence.

Why Treatment Frequency Matters

Previous research suggests that having therapy twice a week instead of once may help people recover faster. This makes intuitive sense - more frequent practice and support could help build momentum in making positive changes. The study will compare three approaches:

• Standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) once per week
• CBT twice per week
• The new expectation-focused treatment twice per week

What This Means for You

If you’re considering therapy for depression, this research suggests several important points to consider:

• Ask potential therapists about session frequency options - twice weekly sessions might be worth exploring, especially early in treatment
• Be aware that your expectations play a crucial role in depression and recovery
• Consider how open you are to challenging and updating your expectations when you encounter new experiences
• Remember that the ability to revise expectations based on new evidence is a skill that can be learned

Conclusions

• More frequent therapy sessions may help accelerate recovery from depression
• Rigid negative expectations can maintain depression, but they can be changed with the right therapeutic approach
• New treatment methods that specifically target unhelpful expectations show promise for improving depression outcomes