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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2020 Jul;76(7):1241-1254.
doi: 10.1002/jclp.22931. Epub 2020 Jan 30.

Patients' interpersonal problems as moderators of depression outcomes in a randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and a group version of the cognitive-behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy in chronic depression

Thomas Probst  1 , Elisabeth Schramm  2 , Thomas Heidenreich  3 , Jan-Philipp Klein  4 , Johannes Michalak  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Patients' interpersonal problems as moderators of depression outcomes in a randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and a group version of the cognitive-behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy in chronic depression

Thomas Probst et al. J Clin Psychol. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Objectives: Interpersonal problems were examined as moderators of depression outcomes between mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy (CBASP) in patients with chronic depression.

Methods: Patients received treatment-as-usual and, in addition, were randomized to 8-weeks of MBCT (n = 34) or 8-weeks of CBASP (n = 34). MBCT and CBASP were given in a group format. The Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D) was the primary and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) the secondary outcome. The subscales of the Inventory of interpersonal problems (IIP-32) were moderators. Multilevel models were performed.

Results: Higher scores on the "vindictive/self-centered" subscale were associated with a better outcome in MBCT than in CBASP (HAM-D: p < .01; BDI-II: p < .01). Higher scores on the "nonassertive" subscale were associated with a better outcome in CBASP than in MBCT (HAM-D: p < .01; BDI-II: p < .01).

Conclusions: If these results can be replicated in larger trials, MBCT should be preferred to CBASP in chronically depressed patients being vindictive/self-centered, whereas CBASP should be preferred to MBCT in chronically depressed patients being nonassertive.

Keywords: chronic depression; cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy; interpersonal problems; mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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