Telephone Therapy

Yesterday's Los Angeles Times had an article about the benefits of telephone therapy.   The article discussed research into using the telephone to treat depression in cancer patients, women suffering from post-partum depression, and patients with major depression.  All of the studies found that patients benefited from the telephone therapy.  In one case the patients improved more than when they received standard post-partum care at a clinic.  The study involving cancer patients allowed patients to stay connected by means of calls with a nurse as well as with automated voice message systems.  Surprisingly, the patients who used the automated calls improved more than those who did not.    Researchers speculated that the feeling patients had of being a part of something was not dimished by using voice mail.