What are three evidence-based therapies for depression?

• A. Mindfulness-based approaches (MBCT), CBT, and IPT
• B. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), and Behavioral Activation (BA); mindfulness-based approaches (e.g., MBCT) are also supported.
• C. Dialectical behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and solution-focused therapy.
• D. Exercise alone is sufficient for depression.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is identifying therapies with the strongest, most consistent research support for treating depression. The best choice lists Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, and Behavioral Activation as the three core evidence-based psychotherapies. CBT helps people recognize and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that maintain depressive symptoms. IPT focuses on improving interpersonal functioning and addressing problems in relationships or life roles that often contribute to depression. Behavioral Activation targets increasing engagement in rewarding, meaningful activities to counteract avoidance and withdrawal, which are common in depression. Together, these three have strong evidence from numerous trials showing meaningful symptom reduction and functional improvement.

Mindfulness-based approaches, such as MBCT, also have solid evidence, especially for preventing relapse in people with recurrent depression, so they’re noted as additional supported options.

Other therapies listed don’t have the same breadth of consistent evidence for depression as a trio or are better established for different conditions. For example, while exercise can help mood, it isn’t a stand-alone psychotherapy with the same level of evidence, and other therapies like DBT, psychodynamic, or solution-focused approaches have less consistent support as first-line evidence-based treatments for depressive disorders.