The New York Times (10/30, Barry) reports a new study offers “early evidence” that text-based therapy is “effective in treating mild to moderate depression, finding outcomes similar to those of video-based therapy.” For the study, “850 adults with mild to moderate depression were randomly assigned to two groups: One group received psychotherapy via a weekly video session; the other received unlimited, as-needed messaging or emailing with a therapist. After 12 weeks, participants in both groups reported similar improvement in depression symptoms.” According to the Times, the “trial was not an equivalence trial, designed to establish that the two methods were equally effective, but instead sought to determine whether video-based or text-based therapy was superior.” Nevertheless, the study authors commented, “We were pleasantly surprised to see that it was as good as weekly video therapy.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open. (SOURCE: APA Headlines)