Medications Work Better Than Psychotherapy in People with Childhood Trauma

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are first-line treatments for anxiety and depressive disorders, but which treatment works better for individual patients is difficult to predict. To see how much early-life adversity (ELA) affects response to either treatment, researchers randomized 96 adults meeting threshold or subthreshold criteria for at least one DSM-5 depressive or anxiety disorder to CBT or an SSRI for 12 weeks.

Patients had high depression and anxiety levels and impaired functioning. Those with a history of mania or current substance dependence were excluded. ELA was determined with a self-report scale on abuse (sexual, physical, and emotional) and neglect (emotional and physical).…