Dose-effect relations in time-limited psychotherapy for depression

Criteria for reliable and clinically significant improvement were applied to standard and individually tailored outcome measures data from 212 depressed clients who had been randomly assigned to receive either 8 or 16 sessions of time-limited psychotherapy. The data were used to address 2 questions: (a) Is the dose-effect curve for psychological symptoms negatively accelerated? and (b) is there a differential rate of response for acute, chronic, and characterological/interpersonal components of depression? The results supported the differential rate of response of different components of depression and suggested qualifications to the acute, chronic, and characterological/interpersonal components and evidence that both supported and qualified previous suggestions that the dose effect curve is negatively accelerated.