Depression is common in people with Parkinson’s disease and contributes to faster physical and mental decline, but it is often overlooked and undertreated. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has shown promising results for treating depression in people with Parkinson’s, yet many people don’t have access to therapists who understand Parkinson’s and can provide this evidence-based depression treatment.
The good news is that participating in cognitive-behavioral therapy by telephone may be effective in reducing depression symptoms for people with Parkinson’s, according to a study published in the April 1, 2020, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
“These results are exciting because they show that specialized therapy significantly improves depression, anxiety and quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease and also that these results last for at least six months,” said study author Roseanne D. Dobkin, Ph.D., of Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson, American Academy of Neurology.
“While these findings need to be replicated, they also support the promise of telemedicine to expand the reach of specialized treatment to people who live far from services or have difficulty traveling to appointments for other reasons.”
The study involved 72 people with an average age of 65 who had Parkinson’s disease for an average of six years and depression for nearly three years. The majority were taking antidepressants, and many were already receiving other kinds of talk therapy. For three months, half of the people took part in weekly, one-hour sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy by telephone, while also continuing their usual medical and mental health care.
A total of 40% of those who engaged in cognitive-behavioral therapy met the criteria for being “much improved” in their depression symptoms, while none of the people who simply continued their usual care did.
“Depression affects up to 50% of people with Parkinson’s disease and may occur intermittently throughout the course of illness. Additionally, in many instances, depression is a more significant predictor of quality life than motor disability. So easily accessible and effective depression treatments have the potential to greatly improve people’s lives,” Dobkin said.
