The importance of interpersonal treatment goals for depressed inpatients.
Increased understanding of the treatment goals of depressed patients may lead to improved treatments and assist researchers and program evaluators in choosing clinically relevant outcome measures. To characterize patients' depression treatment goals, we interviewed hospitalized depressed patients about their treatment goals. Common responses included improving relationships, decreasing sadness or anxiety, and finding a job or improving job performance. On a written questionnaire, patients also ranked decreasing suicidal thoughts highly. These results suggest that for many severely depressed individuals, primary treatment goals include improvements in social and occupational functioning in addition to symptomatic improvement.
Uebelacker
Lisa A
LA
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Butler Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island 02906, USA. lisa_uebelacker@brown.edu
Battle
Cynthia L
CL
Friedman
Michael A
MA
Cardemil
Esteban V
EV
Beevers
Christopher G
CG
Miller
Ivan W
IW
D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011584:Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014743:Videotape Recording