Therapeutic alliance mediates the relationship between interpersonal problems and depression outcome in a cohort of multiple sclerosis patients.
The relationship among therapeutic alliance, psychotherapy outcomes, and interpersonal problems was examined. The present study hypothesized therapeutic alliance would mediate the relationship between interpersonal functioning and outcome among patients with multiple sclerosis entering psychotherapy for depression. Nineteen clients received 16 weeks of individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression as described by D. C. Mohr, A. C. Boudewyn, D. E. Goodkin, A. Bostrom, and L. Epstein (2001). Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, & Erbaugh, 1961), the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex (IIP-C; Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 1990), and the Working Alliance Inventory-Client Form (WAI-C; Horvath & Greenberg, 1989). The IIP-C significantly predicted Week 16 BDI and the WAI-C at 4 weeks. When controlling for the WAI-C, the relationship between the IIP-C and BDI was no longer significant, supporting the mediational hypothesis.
Howard
Isa
I
San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94131, USA. Isa.Howard@va.gov
Turner
Rebecca
R
Olkin
Rhoda
R
Mohr
David C
DC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D013811:Psychotherapeutic Processes; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States