Universality of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) problem areas in Thai depressed patients.
BACKGROUND
Many studies have shown the efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) on depression; however, there are limited studies concerning the universality of the IPT problem areas in different countries. This study identifies whether the interpersonal problem areas defined in the IPT manual are endorsed by Thai depressed patients.


METHODS
The Thai Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Thai HRSD) and Thai Interpersonal Questionnaire were used to assess 90 depressed and 90 non-depressed subjects in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, during July 2007 - January 2008. The association between interpersonal problem areas/sociodemographic variables and depressive disorder were analyzed by chi-square test. A multivariable analysis was performed by using logistic regression to identify the remaining factors associated with depressive disorder.


RESULTS
Most of the subjects were young to middle-aged females living in Bangkok and the Central Provinces. All four interpersonal problem areas (grief, interpersonal role disputes, role transitions, and interpersonal deficits) were increased in the depressed subjects as compared to the non-depressed subjects, as were the sociodemographic variables (low education, unemployment, low income, and having a physical illness). Logistic regression showed that all interpersonal problem areas still remained problems associated with depression (grief: adjusted OR = 6.01, 95%CI = 1.93 - 18.69, p < 0.01; interpersonal role disputes: adjusted OR = 6.01, 95%CI = 2.18 - 16.52, p < 0.01; role transitions: adjusted OR = 26.30, 95%CI = 7.84 - 88.25, p < 0.01; and interpersonal deficits: adjusted OR = 2.92, 95%CI = 1.12 - 7.60, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
All four interpersonal problem areas were applicable to Thai depressed patients.
Lueboonthavatchai
Peeraphon
P
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. peeraphon_tu@yahoo.com
Thavichachart
Nuntika
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013785:Thailand / Q000208:ethnology; D016896:Treatment Outcome