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The Effectiveness of an Intensive Inpatient Psychotherapy Program for Chronic Depression: A naturalistic comparison
Mikkel Eielsen1,2, Pål Gunnar Ulvenes3,4, Jan Ivar Røssberg5
1Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Sognsvanssveien 21, 0372, Oslo, Norway. mikkel.eielsen@gmail.com.
BMC Psychiatry
|November 30, 2022
Summary
An intensive inpatient psychotherapy program significantly improved chronic depression (CD) compared to treatment as usual. Two psychodynamic therapies, affect phobia therapy (APT) and VITA, showed no significant differences between them.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychotherapy Research
Background:
- Chronic depression (CD) presents with early onset, comorbidities, and treatment resistance.
- CD patients often require more intensive interventions due to symptom severity and chronicity.
- Understanding effective treatments for CD is crucial for improving patient outcomes and healthcare resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive inpatient psychotherapy program for chronic depression (CD).
- To compare two intensive psychodynamic inpatient treatments, affect phobia therapy (APT) and VITA, against each other and against an outpatient wait list (treatment as usual - TAU).
- To determine if specific psychotherapeutic models influence treatment outcomes in CD.
Main Methods:
- A naturalistic study included 280 patients diagnosed with CD.
- Patients were assessed at baseline, therapy start, end of therapy, and 1-year follow-up.
- Comparisons included: intensive inpatient program (APT + VITA) vs. TAU, and APT vs. VITA during treatment and follow-up, using the BDI-II as the outcome measure.
Main Results:
- The intensive inpatient psychotherapy program demonstrated significantly better outcomes than the outpatient wait list (TAU) condition.
- No significant differences in effectiveness were observed between affect phobia therapy (APT) and VITA during treatment or follow-up.
- Both intensive treatments yielded large effect sizes during therapy, which were sustained at the 1-year follow-up.
Conclusions:
- An intensive inpatient psychotherapy program is effective for treating chronic depression (CD), outperforming treatment as usual.
- The study supports the utility of intensive inpatient psychotherapy for severe and chronic mental health disorders.
- Policymakers and healthcare providers can consider these findings for efficient resource allocation in mental healthcare.
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