Nurses and psychology graduates can treat depression as well as expert therapists, according to findings that give a boost to an NHS drive for more mental health treatment. Two thirds of patients got significantly better whether they were given cognitive behavioural therapy or an alternative treatment known as behavioural activation. A cheap talking therapy was just as effective as the gold-standard treatment in alleviating even serious depression, the study found. CBT sessions are run by expert psychotherapists earning up to £41,000 a year but the study suggests that they could be replaced by graduates earning £21,000 after a five-day training…

Source: The Times July 22, 2016 23:03 UTC