Antidepressive response of inpatients with major depression to adjuvant occupational therapy: a case-control study.
BACKGROUND
Despite marked costs and limited evidence regarding effectiveness, occupational therapy (OT) is widely applied in psychiatric settings and financed by health insurance companies in European countries. This pilot study investigated the antidepressive effects of adjuvant OT for patients with major depression in a 6-week inpatient setting, stratified for females and males.


METHODS
A total of 114 inpatients with major depression were assigned to either a standard OT group (using basic handcraft) or an active control group that played board games (2 h daily, 5 days a week). HAMD-21 scores were assessed as the primary outcome parameter after 3-6 weeks.


RESULTS
The OT intervention was not superior to "board game" (BG) activities in reducing depressive symptoms. However, significant interaction effects were found in favor of the OT group regarding anxiety measures and other variables. Male participants displayed more significant interaction effects than female participants.


CONCLUSIONS
OT as an adjuvant short-term treatment for inpatients with major depression may be more efficacious than game interventions in terms of reducing anxiety and other symptoms, particularly in males.Trial registrationThe study was registered in the EU Clinical Trials Register as a multicenter trial (EudraCT Number 2009-016463-10; https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2009-016463-10/DE#A) However, because of the elaborate setting requirements, the original study design with four centers was transformed into a solution with those two centers facilitating the pertinent resources. Furthermore, "mono-therapy with mirtazapine" was changed into "preferably mono-therapy with any antidepressant drug".
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany.
Marc-Andreas
MA
Edel
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany.
Brian
B
Blackwell
Institute of Mental Health, LWL University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Markus
M
Schaub
Institute of Mental Health, LWL University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Barbara
B
Emons
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany.
Tanja
T
Fox
Institute of Mental Health, LWL University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Friederike
F
Tornau
LWL Hospital Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany.
Bernward
B
Vieten
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany.
Patrik
P
Roser
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany.|Institute of Mental Health, LWL University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Ida Sibylle
IS
Haussleiter
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1-3, 44791 Bochum, Germany.|Institute of Mental Health, LWL University Hospital Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Georg
G
Juckel
Adjuvant occupational therapy; Antidepressive effects; Major depression