title: Patient interpersonal and cognitive changes and their relation to outcome in interpersonal psychotherapy for depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite interpersonal psychotherapy's (IPT) efficacy for depression, little is known about its change-promoting ingredients. This exploratory study examined candidate change mechanisms by identifying whether patients' interpersonal and cognitive characteristics change during IPT and whether such changes relate to outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were 95 depressed adults receiving manualized IPT. We used multilevel modeling to assess the relation between change in each interpersonal and cognitive domain and outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across all interpersonal and cognitive variables measured, patients showed significant improvement. Unexpectedly, reduced romantic relationship adjustment was related to posttreatment depression reduction (β = 2.028, p = .008, self-rated; β = 1.474, p = .022, clinician-rated). For the other measured domains, change was not significantly associated with outcome (though changes in some interpersonal variables evidenced a trend-level relation to outcome).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Possible reciprocal influences among IPT, depression, and romantic relationship functioning are discussed, as are implications for future research.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Amherst.
authors.forename: Samantha L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bernecker
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Constantino
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pazzaglia
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ravitz
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McBride
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: cognitive change; depression; interpersonal change; interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT); patient characteristics