Interpersonal Therapy Group for Middle-aged Depressive Patients: A Pilot Study

10.4103/TPSY.TPSY_38_19

Chan-Hen Tsai；Chiung-Wen Chang；Hui-Ying Lee；Shih-Ming Li

BDI-II ； group psychotherapy ； major depression disorder ； rôle transition

台灣精神醫學

33卷4期（2019 / 12 / 01）

219 - 221

英文

Objective: In this pilot study, we intended to evaluate the efficacy of the interpersonal therapy group (IPT-G) in middle-aged adult patients with major depressive disorder. Methods: Patients with the diagnosis of major depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, who were aged between 40 and 65 years, were recruited to participate in receiving IPT-G while all participants kept all existing antidepressants. The participants were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) for depression at baseline and immediately after the final treatment session. Results: Totally, 10 patients from an outpatient clinic of a community hospital participated in this 14 weekly 90-min sessions IPT-G while they all kept taking their prescribed antidepressants. Five of them completed the whole course of sessions. The BDI-II scores (means ± standard deviation) of five participants were significantly decreased between sessions 1 and 14 (30.6 ± 19.9 vs. 17.4 ± 15.9) using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (Z = −2.031, p ＜ 0.05). According to the in-depth interview data of two participants, social and practice dimensions were the main factors responsible for changes in the group. Conclusion: In this pilot study, we demonstrated that antidepressant-medicated middle-aged patients can benefit from IPT-G. But this pilot study result needs to be duplicated with a larger number of study participants to strengthen the study finding.

1. Chuang, JY(2019).Hypothesis for mechanism of sex differences in depression.Taiwan J Psychiatry,33,53-54.
   連結：
2. Tang, TC(2018).Evidance-based interpersonal psychotherapy in Taiwan: introduction and modification of new therapeutic model.Chin Group Psychother,24,15-21.
   連結：
3. Allan, BA,Campos, ID,Wimberley, TE(2016).Interpersonal psychotherapy: a review and multicultural critique.Couns Psychol Q,29,253-273.
4. Chan, AL,Yang, TC,Chen, JX(2006).Cost of depression of adults in Taiwan.Int J Psychiatry Med,36,131-135.
5. Dennerstein, L,Soares, CN(2008).The unique challenges of managing depression in mid-life women.World Psychiatry,7,137-142.
6. Huntley, AL,Araya, R,Salisbury, C(2012).Group psychological therapies for depression in the community: systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Psychiatry,200,184-190.
7. Lipsitz, JD,Markowitz, JC(2013).Mechanisms of change in interpersonal therapy (IPT).Clin Psychol Rev,33,1134-1147.
8. Markowitz, JC,Weissman, MM(2012).Interpersonal psychotherapy: past, present and future.Clin Psychol Psychother,19,99-105.