A new study suggests that self-help books are more effective treatments for the people who are suffering from depression than other treatments such as antidepressants.
Scottish researchers claim that self-help book therapy along with guiding sessions on how to use the books is more helpful than usual GP care.
According to the report published in the journal Plos One, the researchers studied 200 patients diagnosed with different aspects of depression, such as “being assertive or overcoming sleep problems.”
They divided the patients into two groups; one who stayed in treatment with antidepressant medicines, the second group who was provided with self-help books.
After four months those who had been prescribed the self-help books had significantly lower levels of depression than those who received usual GP care.
"We found this had a really significant clinical impact and the findings are very encouraging," said study leader Professor Christopher Williams from the University of Glasgow.
"Depression saps people's motivation and makes it hard to believe change is possible," he added.
While there are various self-help books for depression, the experts recommend only six books which are rooted in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or a psychodynamic approach.
Both offered types are currently the most successful methods that psychologists apply for treating depression, experts say.
Feeling Good, Control Your Depression, Mind Over Mood and Climbing out of Depression are among the prescribed books.
FGP/FGP