title: The INDDEP study: inpatient and day hospital treatment for depression - symptom course and predictors of change.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression can be treated in an outpatient, inpatient or day hospital setting. In the German health care system, episodes of inpatient or day hospital treatment are common, but there is a lack of studies evaluating effectiveness in routine care and subgroups of patients with a good or insufficient treatment response. Our study aims at identifying prognostic and prescriptive outcome predictors as well as comparative effectiveness in psychosomatic inpatient and day hospital treatment in depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a naturalistic study, 300 consecutive inpatient and 300 day hospital treatment episodes in seven psychosomatic hospitals in Germany will be included. Patients are assessed at four time points of measurement (admission, discharge, 3-months follow-up, 12-months follow-up) including a broad range of variables (self-report and expert ratings). First, the whole sample will be analysed to identify prognostic and prescriptive predictors of outcome (primary outcome criterion: Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms QIDS-total score, expert rating). Secondly, for a comparison of inpatient and day hospital treatment, samples will be matched according to known predictors of outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Naturalistic studies with good external validity are needed to assess treatment outcome in depression in routine care and to identify subgroups of patients with different therapeutic needs.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN20317064.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital, Freiburg, Germany. almut.zeeck@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Almut
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeeck
authors.forename: Joern von
authors.initials: Jv
authors.lastname: Wietersheim
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beutel
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012107:Research Design; D016896:Treatment Outcome