Depression in Context

Neil Jacobson was a leader in developing and testing treatments for depression. At the time of his death, in 1999, he Christopher Martell, and Michael Addis had just begun work on this book. In fact, they had spent several years discussing behavioral approaches to treating depression and had been collaborating on one of the largest clinical trials for depression comparing behavioral activation to cognitive therapy and medication. Preliminary findings from this study suggest that treating depression by helping to activate people (behavioral action) is just as effective as helping them to change their thinking (cognitive therapy).