All schools of psychotherapy have developed specific therapeutic approaches for depression. Common elements exist but still there are differences as well. In this we will review the following approaches, mostly cited in the depression therapy literature: Psychoanalytic, Behavioral, Cognitive and  Interpersonal.  Recent  studies  show  that  psychotherapy  is  ef fective  in  depression,  even  in  the elderly and in hospitalized patients. Psychotherapy results are very good in mild to moderate depression.  In  combination  with  pharmacotherapy,  psychotherapy  shows  good  results  in  severe  depression. It has an important role in preventing new episodes. Recent functional imaging studies show how psychotherapy can affect biological brain structure and function. However, there are still methodological issues that have to be dealt with in psychotherapy research.

Key words: Depression, psychotherapy, psychoanalytic, cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, effectiveness

I.M. Michopoulos, I.M. Zervas  (page 211) - Full article (Greek)