Common Factors in the Treatment of Chronic Depression - Comparison of 2 Psychotherapy Methods

Common Factors in the Treatment of Chronic Depression - Comparison of 2 Psychotherapy Methods Background: There is a lack of research about the extent to which common factors influence the effectiveness of psychotherapies in the treatment of chronic depression: Which common factors differentiate between successful and less-successful psychotherapies in chronically depressed patients? Patients and Methods: Using the Bern Post Session Report (BPSR) for patients and therapists, the common factors in the treatment of 29 chronically depressed patients have been evaluated during the 16-week treatment with either the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) or with Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). The primary efficacy outcome measure was the score on the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-24). Results: Significant differences were found on the patient-rated subscales 'clarification' (p = 0.02) and 'problem solving' (p = 0.01) when comparing successful with less-successful (response defined as a 50% reduction in HRSD-24 score) therapies. However, analysis of variance showed no significant difference in common factors between CBASP and IPT therapies. Discussion: Independent of the therapeutic approach, the impact of the common efficacy factors clarification and problem solving for successful treatment of chronically depressed patients has been confirmed.