Science is not a trial (but it can sometimes be a tribulation)

This article addresses a few of the most important issues raised by N. S. Jacobson and S. D. Hollon and by D. F. Klein about the findings of the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program (TDCRP). Questions addressed include the following: (a) What was the relative effectiveness of the treatments in the TDCRP for patients with severe depressive symptomatology? (b) Were there Treatment X Research Site interactions within the more severely depressed subsamples? (c) Was there adequate implementation of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and other treatment conditions in the TDCRP? and (d) How do the relapse rates in the TDCRP compare with those in other studies? Current conclusions regarding all of these issues are presented. For the future, it is recommended that, rather than revisiting these issues again, researchers apply their energies to investigating new questions using the valuable TDCRP database.