Applied Indicators in Treatment Approaches of Chronic Depressive Disorders

Aim and The number of previous studies on the subject of specific treatments for chronic depression disorders was limited and significantly incomplete. Identification of applied indicators in treatment approaches of chronic depression disorders extracted from previous work would result in the development of applied and plenary treatment of these disorders.
Methods and Materials: In this narrative review, referring to the databases like Pubmed and ScienceDirect, and a review of 71 articles, the treatment approaches and the most important applied indicators related to the treatment of chronic depressive disorder were extracted.
Findings: There are differences between acute and chronic depression of existing signs, and the aforementioned treatments often focus on major depression. The effective methods in the treatment of chronic depression include psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), cognitive-behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy, schema therapy, behavioral activation therapy, group therapy and family-based treatment. However, in any of these ways, there are major weaknesses. According to the literature, some common elements in treatment of chronic depressive disorders are time-limited psychotherapy, explicit rationale for treatment, the active therapist position, focus on current problems, emphasis on changing current behavior and interpersonal interactions, self-monitoring of change and progress, regular homework assignments, continuation/maintenance therapy to extend gains, combined pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment, family-based interventions.
In comparison with research conducted in major depressive disorder, research support in psychotherapy for chronic depression is relatively young and further research is essential.