Literature study on the Efficacy of antidepressants with CBT in the treatment of depression

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is of global concern to clinicians, researchers and governments. This study seeks to review the benefits of including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as an adjunctive treatment with antidepressants and to explore the role that physical exercise can offer as a treatment for depression. There is considerable literature available on the use of antidepressants with and without CBT. Various neurological studies have identified new roles which suggest the effectiveness of physical exercise as a supportive treatment against depressive symptoms. The production of endorphins can lead to the development of new neuronal growth which may be helpful in the restructuring of neurocognition and thereby protecting against depressive symptoms. Purpose: Current review study aims at scoping the efficacy of antidepressants with CBT and insightful neurocognitive views on the way physical exercise can restructure the cognition of depressive patients which would make the treatment more effective. Method: This literature review study engine proceeds by scoping 72 articles from the previous literature studies and medical news using electronic databases such as PubMed, Medical news, both clinical and the theoretical implications of these findings are discussed. The study also referred to other journals including Psych-INFO, NCBI, and CINAH from 2010 to 2022 which are analysed to draw insightful information concerning the use of antidepressants with CBT and physical exercises to increase the effective treatment for major depression. Conclusion: the current literature study evidences the enhanced efficacy of treatment for depression with CBT in the treatment of depression, its role in reducing relapse episodes of depression and residual symptoms and the efficacy of physical exercises in the treatment of depression. The implication of the study to place these findings in the larger context of treatment selection in managing residual symptoms, reducing the risk of relapse and neurocognitive changes through physical exercise in major depressive disorder (MDD).