A Pilot Study of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Alcohol-Dependent Women with Co-Occurring Major Depression

Abstract

Background

Co-occurring major depression is prevalent among alcohol-dependent women and is a risk factor for poor treatment outcomes. This uncontrolled pilot study tested the feasibility, acceptability, and initial effects of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for women with co-occurring alcohol dependence and major depression (AD-MD) in an outpatient community addiction treatment program.

Methods

Fourteen female patients with concurrent diagnoses of alcohol dependence and major depression participated. Assessments were conducted at baseline, midtreatment (8 and 16 weeks), posttreatment (24 weeks), and follow-up (32 weeks).

Results

Participants attended a mode of 8 out of 8 possible sessions of IPT in addition to their routine addiction care, and reported high treatment satisfaction on the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8. Women's drinking behavior, depressive symptoms, and interpersonal functioning improved significantly over the treatment period and were sustained at follow-up.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings suggest that IPT is a feasible, highly acceptable adjunctive behavioral intervention for AD-MD women.

Keywords

Alcohol depression co-occurring disorders treatment women

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