BACKGROUND:

About 30% of psychiatric out-patients with major depression demonstrate partial remission.

AIMS:

To explore whether the addition of cognitive therapy (CT) had any differential effect on residual symptoms or social adjustment.

METHOD:

Patients with residual symptoms of major depression (n=158) were randomised to receive clinical management (CM) alone, or CM plus 18 sessions of CT. Subjects' depressive symptoms and social functioning were assessed regularly over 16 months.

RESULTS:

The addition of CT produced statistically significant differential effects on: two out of four measures of overall severity of depression; specific psychological symptoms (guilt, self-esteem and hopelessness); and social functioning (including dependency, interpersonal behaviour and friction).

CONCLUSIONS:

In patients showing only partial response to antidepressants, the addition of CT produced modest improvements in social and psychological functioning. The implications for research on the mechanisms of action of CT are discussed.