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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2010 Jun;78(3):420-8.
doi: 10.1037/a0019549.

Interpersonal accuracy of interventions and the outcome of cognitive and interpersonal therapies for depression

Paul Crits-Christoph  1 , Mary Beth Connolly Gibbons, Christina M Temes, Irene Elkin, Robert Gallop
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Interpersonal accuracy of interventions and the outcome of cognitive and interpersonal therapies for depression

Paul Crits-Christoph et al. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2010 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the interpersonal accuracy of interventions in cognitive therapy and interpersonal therapy as a predictor of the outcome of treatment for patients with major depressive disorder.

Method: The interpersonal accuracy of interventions was rated using transcripts of treatment sessions for 72 patients who were being treated with cognitive or interpersonal therapy for major depressive disorder through the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program (Elkin et al., 1989). Interpersonal accuracy of interventions was assessed by first identifying core conflictual relationship themes for each patient and then by having judges rate therapist intervention statements for the extent to which each statement addressed each component of the patient-specific interpersonal theme.

Results: Using early-in-treatment sessions, statistically significant interactions of interpersonal accuracy of interventions and treatment group in relation to outcome were evident. These findings included significant interactions of treatment group with accuracy of interventions in the prediction of subsequent change of depressive symptoms and social adjustment from Week 4 to Week 16, with higher levels of interpersonal accuracy associated with relatively poorer outcomes for patients receiving cognitive therapy but relatively better outcomes for patients in interpersonal therapy.

Conclusion: The process of interpersonal and cognitive therapies may differ in important ways. Accurately addressing interpersonal themes may be particularly important to the process of interpersonal therapy but not cognitive therapy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Interaction of treatment group with accuracy of intervention on the interpersonal wish component in the prediction of slope on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) from Week 4 to Week 16.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Interaction of treatment group with accuracy of interventions on interpersonal wish component in the prediction of the modified Social Adjustment Scale (SAS) from Week 4 to Week 16.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Interaction of treatment group with accuracy of interventions on the response of self in the prediction of the modified Social Adjustment Scale (SAS) from Week 4 to Week 16.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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