title: Interpersonal differentiation within depression diagnosis: relating interpersonal subgroups to symptom load and the quality of the early therapeutic alliance.
abstract: We examined interpersonal problems in psychotherapy outpatients with a principal diagnosis of a depressive disorder in routine care (n=361). These patients were compared to a normative non-clinical sample and to outpatients with other principal diagnoses (n=959). Furthermore, these patients were statistically assigned to interpersonally defined subgroups that were compared regarding symptoms and the quality of the early alliance. The sample of depressive patients reported higher levels of interpersonal problems than the normative sample and the sample of outpatients without a principal diagnosis of depression. Latent Class Analysis identified eight distinct interpersonal subgroups, which differed regarding self-reported symptom load and the quality of the early alliance. However, therapists' alliance ratings did not differentiate between the groups. This interpersonal differentiation within the group of patients with a principal diagnosis of depression may add to a personalized psychotherapy based on interpersonal profiles.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grosse Holtforth
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Altenstein
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krieger
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flückiger
authors.forename: Aidan G C
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caspar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: alliance; depression; interpersonal problems