Telephone-administered cognitive-behavioral therapy for the treatment of depressive symptoms in multiple sclerosis

This study examined the efficacy of an 8‐week telephone‐administered cognitive‐behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of depressive symptomatology in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The treatment, Coping with MS (CMS), included a patient workbook designed to structure the treatment, provide visual aids, and help with homework assignments. Thirty‐two patients with MS, who scored at least 15 on the Profile of Mood States Depression‐Dejection scale, were randomly assigned to either the telephone CMS or to a usual‐care control (UCC) condition. Depressive symptomatology decreased significantly in the CMS condition compared with the UCC condition. Furthermore, adherence to interferon beta‐1a, a disease‐modifying medication for the treatment of MS, was significantly better at the 4‐month follow‐up among patients who received CMS as compared with those in the UCC condition.