The value of maintenance interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in older adults with different IPT foci.
OBJECTIVE
The authors examined recurrence rates of major depression in elderly subjects with different foci of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), who were treated for up to 3 years with either monthly maintenance IPT and pill placebo or with monthly clinical management and pill placebo.


RESULTS
Among subjects with an IPT focus on role conflict, a greater proportion of those treated with maintenance-IPT survived for 3 years without recurrence than those treated with placebo/clinical management. Median time to recurrence was 68.9 weeks in IPT-treated patients versus 16.3 weeks for patients in clinical management. Subjects with an IPT focus on abnormal grief or role transition demonstrated no effect differential for maintenance IPT and pill-placebo on recurrence prevention over supportive clinical management and pill-placebo.


CONCLUSIONS
If replicated in a larger sample, these findings have important implications for ongoing case-management decisions.
Miller
Mark D
MD
Intervention Research Center for Late-Life Mood Disorders, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA. millermd@msx.upmc.edu
Frank
Ellen
E
Cornes
Cleon
C
Houck
Patricia R
PR
Reynolds
Charles F
CF
D000368:Aged; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012008:Recurrence