Preferences for systems of psychotherapy and beliefs about the causes of depression

Despite multiple treatments being equally effective in treating depression, individuals may have preferences for which intervention they receive. There has been evidence that psychotherapy is preferred over medication or other professional treatments. Psychotherapy, however, is a broad term that does not capture the reality of diverse systems of therapy available to consumers. Therefore, the current study hypothesized that if given the choice between conceptually different types of psychotherapy, individuals would express a preference for at least one treatment over the others. Results from 221 college students indicate that when offered descriptions of problem-solving, cognitive, interpersonal, or behavioral activation therapies, both cognitive and problem-solving therapy are preferred treatments. Additionally, the current work incorporated factors that may influence the preferences measured. Specifically, a person\u27s beliefs about the causes of depression may better explain preferences. Therefore, the current study hypothesized that scores on the Reasons for Depression questionnaire (RFD; Addis, Truax, & Jacobson, 1995) would be higher or lower across each of the treatment options. For those that preferred behavioral activation therapy, every reason for depression was elevated indicating that participants in this group may believe depression is caused by a complex variety of reasons. Implications for future research in treatment preferences and treatment matching are discussed