4.1.2 Combining Psychotherapy with Psychopharmacology

4.1.2 Combining Psychotherapy with Psychopharmacology

State the Indications for and Techniques of Combining Psychotherapy with Psychopharmacology

Combining psychotherapy with psychopharmacology is a common treatment approach used to manage a wide range of mental health conditions. This combined approach can be more effective than either treatment alone, especially for certain conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders.

Indications:

Combining psychotherapy with psychopharmacology is indicated for the treatment of a variety of mental health conditions, including:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance abuse disorders

Techniques:

There are several techniques used in combining psychotherapy with psychopharmacology, including:

  1. Coordinated treatment: This involves coordinating the psychotherapy and medication treatments so that they work together to achieve the best outcomes.
  2. Augmentation: This involves adding medication to a psychotherapy treatment when the patient is not making progress or is experiencing significant symptoms.
  3. Sequential treatment: This involves treating a patient with medication first, followed by psychotherapy when symptoms have stabilized.
  4. Integrated treatment: This involves using a combination of psychotherapy and medication from the beginning of treatment.

There are several factors that should be considered when choosing the appropriate technique for combining psychotherapy with psychopharmacology, including the type and severity of the mental health condition, the patient’s preferences, and the expertise of the treating clinician.

Reference:

  1. American Psychiatric Association. (2010). Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with major depressive disorder. https://psychiatryonline.org/pb/assets/raw/sitewide/practice_guidelines/guidelines/mdd.pdf
  2. Bandelow, B., Sher, L., Bunevicius, R., Hollander, E., Kasper, S., Zohar, J., … & Fineberg, N. (2012). Guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder in primary care. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 16(2), 77-84.
  3. Bauer, M., Pfennig, A., & Severus, E. (2013). Whybundling psychotherapy with medication makes sense for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 27(11), 1049-1055.
  4. Davidson, J. R., Connor, K. M., & McLeod, M. N. (2010). Combination treatment with benzodiazepines and SSRIs for comorbid anxiety and depression: A review. Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 12(2), PCC.09r00895.
  5. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2014). Eating disorders: Recognition and treatment. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg9
  6. Schizophrenia Guideline Committee. (2013). Treatment of schizophrenia 2013. https://www.japanese-schizophrenia.org/eguideline/eguideline2/english_top.html