Behavioral therapy shown to benefit depression patients

For patients who are given a prescription to buy Paxil to treat depression, therapy that gets them to think more about the future and less about the past may help them overcome many of the symptoms of their condition, according to a new study.

The Cedar-Sinai researchers who developed the so-called Future-Directed Therapy said that one of the main problems in depression is that patients tend to dwell on negative thoughts about the past. However, their research shows that helping these individuals think more positively about the future may have many benefits.

"Future-Directed Therapy helps people shift their attention constructing visions of what they want more of in the future and it helps them develop the skills that they will need to eventually get there," said lead researcher Jennice Vilhauer. "Talking about what makes you unhappy in life doesn't generate the necessary thinking patterns or action needed to promote a state of thriving."

In a study involving 33 depression patients, the researchers showed that Future-Directed Therapy experienced a reduction in overall symptoms, including anxiety and improved quality of life, compared to those who did not receive the treatment.