A cohort study of engagement in telehealth psychotherapy versus in-person services.

OBJECTIVE: Although telehealth psychotherapies have been studied for over 20 years, mental health services remained largely delivered in person until the COVID-19 pandemic forced clinics to reconsider the utility of telehealth psychotherapy. This study aims to compare patient engagement in in-person versus telehealth services in outpatient psychotherapy for mood and anxiety disorders. METHOD: A cohort investigation was conducted, using a propensity score matched sample, extracted from an electronic health record (EHR) to compare engagement in psychotherapy for 762 patients who used in-person services before the pandemic to a cohort of 762 patients who used telehealth psychotherapy after the onset of COVID-19. The authors compared cohorts on initial engagement in psychotherapy services following an initial intake, number of psychotherapy sessions attended, and the rate of missed sessions. RESULTS: There was a 26% increase in the total number of individual psychotherapy sessions attended when the clinics transitioned to telehealth services (p < .001). In addition, patients who received telehealth psychotherapy were five times more likely to not cancel or miss any scheduled sessions (p < .001). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that telehealth services may result in improved treatment engagement for outpatient centers focused on brief evidence-based psychotherapies for mood and anxiety disorders.

Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Patient-Therapist Matching on Gender and Race/Ethnicity: Predictors/Moderators of the Effectiveness of Trust/Respect Feedback.

A plethora of studies has exhibited the effectiveness of using measurement-based care feedback systems within mental health services to improve treatment outcomes; however, patient gender/race and patient-therapist matching on gender and race remain relatively unexplored as predictors/moderators in feedback studies. We conducted predictor/moderator analyses focusing on the relation of gender, race/ethnicity, and patient-therapist gender and race/ethnicity matching on two outcomes: patient self-reported levels of (1) functioning and (2) trust/respect within the therapeutic relationship. We used data from a randomized controlled trial studying the effectiveness of a feedback system comparing patient-reported levels of trust and respect towards their provider (together with symptom feedback) in comparison to symptom only feedback. We found that men improved in functioning more than women when their therapists received trust/respect feedback compared to symptom only feedback (F[1, 902] = 9.79, p = .002, d = 0.21). We also found that dyads matched on race/ethnicity but not gender, and those matched on gender but not race/ethnicity, improved in functioning over time more than dyads mismatched on both gender and race/ethnicity and those matched on both gender and race/ethnicity (F[1, 897] = 8.63, p = .0034, d = 0.20). On trust/respect outcomes, we found a gender difference over time (F[1, 759] = 6.61, p = .01, d = 0.19), a gender matching difference by feedback condition interaction (F[1, 757] = 5.25, p = .02, d = 0.17), and a racial/ethnic matching difference on trust/respect scores over time (F[1, 785] = 3.89, p = .049, d = 0.14). Male patients showed an initial decrease followed by a steady increase in trust/respect over time while female patients showed an initial increase followed by a steady decrease. Gender-matched therapeutic dyads showed higher levels of trust/respect compared to mismatched dyads when therapists received symptom only feedback, but this difference was not apparent when trust/respect feedback was provided. Dyads mismatched on race/ethnicity improved steadily in trust/respect over time, but matched dyads decreased in trust/respect after an initial increase. Future research should focus on the use of feedback systems to enhance outcomes for patients with specific gender and racial/ethnic identities.

The association between trauma and interpersonal problems in a United States community mental health setting.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research has documented associations between trauma and interpersonal problems. We examined the impact of trauma on interpersonal problems among depressed patients seeking treatment in a community mental health setting. METHODS: A total of 453 patients seeking treatment and screened for a comparative effectiveness study of therapies for depression were included. We conducted analyses relating the 32-item inventory of interpersonal problems (IIP-32) to trauma measures. RESULTS: 99.1% of the sample experienced a traumatic event. There were significant associations between the total number of traumas, the number of sexually and physically assaultive traumas, and both gender and race. The number of sexually assaultive traumas was significantly related to the IIP-32 "too caring" subscale (simple r = 0.167, p < 0.001). Controlling for demographics and other IIP-32 subscales, the total number of traumas remained significantly related to the IIP-32 "too caring" domain (partial r = 0.163, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic events are prevalent among community populations and these experiences are associated with certain interpersonal problems. Trauma and interpersonal problems are key issues for the treatment of patients in the community mental health setting.

Repeated assessments of depressive symptoms in randomized psychosocial intervention trials: best practice for analyzing symptom change over time.

OBJECTIVE: Psychotherapy randomized trials rarely have tested for the best fitting model for time effects. We examined the fit of different statistical models for examining time when repeated assessments of depressive symptoms are the primary outcome. METHOD: We used data from three studies comparing psychotherapy treatments for major depressive disorder. Outcome measures were self-report ratings for Study 1 (N = 237) and Study 2 (N = 100) and clinician ratings for Study 3 (N = 120) of depressive symptoms measured at every session (Studies 1 and 2) or monthly (Study 3). We examined the fit of the following time patterns: linear, quadratic, cubic, log transformation of time, piece-wise linear, and unstructured. RESULTS: In Study 1, a log-linear model had the best fit (Δ Akaike information criterion [AICc] = 7.5). In Study 2, all models had essentially no support (Δ AICcs > 10) in comparison to the best fitting model, which was the unstructured model. In Study 3, the cubic model had the best fit, but it was not significantly better than a log-linear (Δ AICc = 3.5) or unstructured model (Δ AICc = 2.5). CONCLUSIONS: Trials should routinely compare different time models, including an unstructured model, when repeated measures of depressive symptoms are the primary outcome.

Initial Development of Pragmatic Behavioral Activation Fidelity Assessments.

PURPOSE: Our goal was to develop brief pragmatic assessments of Behavioral Activation (BA) fidelity to support its dissemination in low-resource settings. METHODS: We used qualitative and quantitative methods across three investigations to develop pragmatic assessments rated from the perspective of therapists, patients, and observers: (1) we developed an initial comprehensive pool of 119 items and adapted/refined the item pool to 32 items through stakeholder focus groups and cognitive interviews; (2) independent blind judges rated each of items in the refined item pool on an early session of BA for 64 patients to support the selection of items based on predictive validity; and (3) we conducted a preliminary evaluation of the acceptability and feasibility of the assessments of BA fidelity from the perspective of therapists and patients. RESULTS: The internal consistency reliability for the 10-item total score was .83 rated from the perspective of independent observers. The assessment was completed by patients following 90% of sessions and by clinicians following 93% of sessions. Items were rated high on overall satisfaction by both therapists (M = 4.6, SD = 0.89) and patients (M = 4.8, SD = 0.41). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that these brief assessments of BA fidelity are reliable, feasible, and acceptable to community stakeholders.

Insight as a mechanism of change in dynamic therapy for major depressive disorder.

This study aimed to investigate change in insight into maladaptive interpersonal patterns over the course of psychotherapy, as well as the specificity of insight as a change mechanism in dynamic treatments. A total of 100 patients received up to 16 sessions of either cognitive or dynamic therapy for major depressive disorder in a randomized clinical trial. Assessments of insight (Insight into Conflictual Relationship Patterns scale) and depression severity (Hamilton Depression Inventory) took place at the beginning of treatment, at month 2, and month 5. Patient insight significantly improved over the course of dynamic treatments. Gains in insight from the beginning to month 2 of treatment were a significant predictor of decreases of depressive symptoms from month 2 to month 5 of treatment in the dynamic, but not in the cognitive treatment group, despite a nonsignificant interaction. Results provide support for insight as a change factor in dynamic therapies. Better self-understanding of dysfunctional interaction patterns could help patients to find more adaptive ways of behaving, to form more satisfying relationships, and to improve their depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Use of cognitive techniques is associated with change in positive compensatory skills in the treatment of major depressive disorder in a community mental health setting.

To examine the association between adherence and competence in cognitive therapy (CT) techniques and change in positive compensatory skills and depressive symptoms within a community mental health setting.Adherence ratings were available for 97 individuals receiving CT for major depressive disorder. Assessments of adherence and competence were rated on one early session of CT. Compensatory skills were measured using the Ways of Responding Community Version at baseline and months 1, 2, and 5. Symptom severity was evaluated using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression at baseline and months 1, 2, 4, and 5.In mixed effects models, adherence was significantly associated with linear change in positive compensatory skills from baseline to month 5 (F [1, 76] = 8.05, p=.006, r=.31). Competence was also significantly associated with change in positive compensatory skills from baseline to month 5 (F [1, 78] = 5.1, p=.027, r=.25). High adherence was associated with improvements in HAM-D scores from baseline to month 5 (F [1, 78] = 5.1, p=.027, r=.25).Results support the hypothesis that use of CT techniques is associated with change in compensatory skills in a community mental health setting.

Instrumental variable analyses for causal inference: Application to multilevel analyses of the alliance-outcome relation.

Objective: To introduce readers to instrumental variable analyses for causal inferences using as an example a test of the hypothesis that the quality of the therapeutic alliance has a causal role in relation to the outcome of psychotherapy. Method: We used data from a recent non-inferiority trial of cognitive and dynamic therapies for major depressive disorder in a community mental health setting. The data (N = 161) were analyzed using standard approaches as well as a multilevel 2-stage instrumental variables approach that allows for causal interpretations by removing the influence of unmeasured confounds. Results: Instrumental variables were created at the patient and therapist level using baseline patient and therapist variables. These baseline variables predicted the alliance but were otherwise unrelated to treatment outcome other than through their effects on the alliance. Standard multilevel mixed effects analyses revealed statistically significant associations of the alliance with outcome at the therapist level of analysis. The therapist level effect remained statistically significant when using the instrumental variables approach. Conclusion: Our results support the hypothesis that, at least at the therapist level, the alliance plays a causal role in producing better outcomes. Instrumental variable analyses can be a useful tool to supplement standard analyses.

Insight into conflictual relationship patterns: Development and validation of an observer rating scale.

Objective: This study aimed to develop an observer-rated measure of Insight into Conflictual Relationship Patterns (ICR) applicable to audio- or videotapes of psychotherapy sessions and conduct a first psychometric evaluation. Method: We investigated the item properties, principal components, reliability, and validity of the ICR in a naturalistic sample of N = 125 outpatients in psychodynamic psychotherapy. Results: The ICR consists of 12 items that showed adequate item discrimination and item difficulty indices. All items represent one principal component. Using item response theory, discrimination parameters and item characteristic curves revealed that the ability of all items to differentiate patients was adequate to very good. The scale demonstrated good interrater reliability (ICC(3,1) = .76-.93), adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .84), and high retest reliability (r = .91). Regarding validity, the ICR was significantly associated with insight according to the Achievement of Therapeutic Objectives Scale and patient-perceived session depth. Insight at session five predicted a symptomatic increase from session five to session ten. Conclusion: The ICR is an observer-rated measure to assess insight from psychotherapy session recordings that has demonstrated several aspects of reliability and validity. Future studies are needed to clarify the impact of ICR-assessed insight for symptomatic outcome.

A self-report version of the Ways of Responding: Reliability and validity in a clinical sample.

OBJECTIVE: The Ways of Responding (WOR) instrument measures compensatory skills, a central construct in some theories of the mechanism of cognitive therapy for depression. However, the instrument is time-consuming and expensive to use in community settings, because it requires trained independent judges to rate subjects' open-ended written responses to depressogenic scenarios. The present study evaluated the reliability and validity of a self-report version of the WOR (WOR-SR) in a community mental health sample with depressive symptoms (N = 467). METHOD: Subjects completed the WOR-SR, a modified version of the original WOR, and other measures of depressive symptoms, dysfunctional cognitions, functioning, quality of life, and interpersonal problems at multiple time points. RESULTS: An exploratory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor structure of the WOR-SR. The positive and negative subscales both demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas = .91) and moderate convergent validity with other measures. CONCLUSION: The WOR-SR is a reliable and valid measure of compensatory skills in patients receiving treatment for depression at community mental health centers.

Randomized controlled trial evaluating feedback to community-based therapists based on patient reports of trust and respect.

OBJECTIVE: Patient trust/respect toward their therapists may be an important component of patient-therapist relationships. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of providing weekly feedback to therapists regarding patient ratings of trust/respect toward their therapist. METHOD: Adult patients seeking mental health treatment at four community clinics (two community mental health centers and two community-based intensive treatment programs) were randomized to either having their primary therapist receive weekly symptom feedback-only or symptoms plus trust/respect feedback. Data were collected both prior to and during COVID-19. The primary outcome measure was a measure of functioning obtained weekly at baseline and the subsequent 11 weeks, with the primary analysis focusing on patients who received any treatment. Secondary outcomes included measures of symptoms and trust/respect. RESULTS: Among 233 consented patients, 185 had a postbaseline assessment and were analyzed for the primary and secondary outcomes (median age of 30 years; 5.4% Asian, 12.4% Hispanic, 17.8% Black, 67.0% White, 4.3% more than 1 race, and 5.4% unknown; 64.4% female). On the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Social Roles and Activities scale (primary outcome), the trust/respect plus symptom feedback group had significantly greater improvements over time than the symptom alone feedback group (p = .0006, effect size d = .22). Secondary outcome measures of symptoms and trust/respect also showed statistically significant greater improvement for the trust/respect feedback group. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, trust/respect feedback to therapists was associated with significantly greater improvements in treatment outcomes. Evaluation of the mechanisms of such improvements is needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The development of a comprehensive coding system for evaluating insight based on a clinical interview: The SUIP-I coding system.

Gaining insight is considered a cornerstone of psychodynamic psychotherapy. Existing tools used to measure insight mainly include patients' self-report questionnaires and external coding of therapy sessions. To expand on the available tools, the present study developed a comprehensive coding system for the Self-Understanding of Interpersonal Patterns Scales-Interview (SUIP-I; Gibbons & Crits-Christoph, 2017). A total of 55 patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial received psychodynamic psychotherapy for depression and were interviewed using the SUIP-I at baseline. A comprehensive coding system was developed for rating the interviews, based on a Likert scale for each of the six levels of insight. The content validity, psychometric properties, and the reliability and validity of the coding system were examined. The new SUIP-I coding system demonstrated interrater reliability in the "excellent" range, ICC (1, 1) = .91-.97, for all the six levels, and adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .81). Support for convergent validity was gained, as manifested in a significant positive association of the SUIP-I with alliance expectation and affiliation, and a significant negative association with avoidance attachment. Support for discriminant validity was also gained, as manifested in a weak, nonsignificant association between the SUIP-I and self-esteem. The proposed comprehensive coding system shows good initial reliability and validity. Research is needed to further establish the psychometric properties of the new SUIP-I coding system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Adapting psychotherapy in collaborative care for treating opioid use disorder and co-occurring psychiatric conditions in primary care.

INTRODUCTION: Opioid use disorder (OUD) and psychiatric conditions commonly co-occur yet are infrequently treated with evidence-based therapeutic approaches, resulting in poor outcomes. These conditions, separately, present challenges to treatment initiation, retention, and success. These challenges are compounded when individuals have OUD and psychiatric conditions. METHOD: Recognizing the complex needs of these individuals, gaps in care, and the potential for primary care to bridge these gaps, we developed a psychotherapy program that integrates brief, evidence-based psychotherapies for substance use, depression, and anxiety, building on traditional elements of the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). In this article, we describe this psychotherapy program in a primary care setting as part of a compendium of collaborative services. RESULTS: Patients receive up to 12 sessions of evidence-based psychotherapy and case management based on a structured treatment manual that guides treatment via Motivational Enhancement; Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for depression, anxiety, and/or substance use disorder; and/or Behavioral Activation components. DISCUSSION: Novel, integrated treatments are needed to advance service delivery for individuals with OUD and psychiatric conditions and these programs must be rigorously evaluated. We describe our team's efforts to test our psychotherapy program in a large primary care network as part of an ongoing three-arm randomized controlled trial. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Efficacy and moderators of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data.

BACKGROUND: Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) is frequently used to treat depression, but it is unclear which patients might benefit specifically. Individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses can provide more precise effect estimates than conventional meta-analyses and identify patient-level moderators. This IPD meta-analysis examined the efficacy and moderators of STPP for depression compared to control conditions. METHODS: PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched September 1st, 2022, to identify randomized trials comparing STPP to control conditions for adults with depression. IPD were requested and analyzed using mixed-effects models. RESULTS: IPD were obtained from 11 of the 13 (84.6%) studies identified (n = 771/837, 92.1%; mean age = 40.8, SD = 13.3; 79.3% female). STPP resulted in significantly lower depressive symptom levels than control conditions at post-treatment (d = -0.62, 95%CI [-0.76, -0.47], p < .001). At post-treatment, STPP was more efficacious for participants with longer rather than shorter current depressive episode durations. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the evidence base of STPP for depression and indicate episode duration as an effect modifier. This moderator finding, however, is observational and requires prospective validation in future large-scale trials.

The association between medical comorbidity and psychotherapy processes and outcomes for major depressive disorder in a community mental health setting.

Many individuals seeking mental health services for depression often suffer from a comorbid medical condition. The goal of the present study was to assess the presence of medical comorbidity in a community mental health center setting that primarily serves a Medicare and Medicaid population, characterize the types of comorbid medical conditions experienced in this setting, and explore the association between medical conditions on the alliance, attrition from services, and outcome. Medical diagnoses were collected from patient charts and structured clinical interviews from 353 participants who had a baseline assessment as part of a comparative effectiveness study of cognitive and dynamic therapies for major depressive disorder. We calculated the Charlson Comorbidity Index and the number of total medical diagnoses for each patient. Results from this study revealed that a high percentage of patients in this setting experienced a comorbid medical condition. No significant associations were found between the number of medical conditions or the Charlson Comorbidity Index and the alliance. No significant relationship was found between the number of medical conditions or the Charlson Comorbidity Index and early attrition from treatment or treatment outcome. However, exploratory analyses found that presence of a nervous system disorder was associated with relatively poorer treatment outcomes after initial engagement. Implications of these findings are discussed. Treatments for major depressive disorder may benefit from addressing the impact of medical disorders on physical functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Changes in psychotherapy utilization among consumers of services for major depressive disorder in the community mental health system.

The goal of this investigation was to explore changes in psychotherapy utilization for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) treated in community mental health agencies across two cohorts. We used a Medicaid claims database including approximately 300,000 public sector clients. Although the use of psychotherapy alone showed a small decrease, there was a large increase in the use of combined medication and psychotherapy as a treatment for MDD. Race was a significant predictor of both treatment type received and length of treatment. African American consumers were more likely to receive psychotherapy alone than combined treatment and attended significantly fewer psychotherapy sessions.

Psychiatry Outpatients' Willingness to Share Social Media Posts and Smartphone Data for Research and Clinical Purposes: Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatry research has begun to leverage data collected from patients' social media and smartphone use. However, information regarding the feasibility of utilizing such data in an outpatient setting and the acceptability of such data in research and practice is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at understanding the outpatients' willingness to have information from their social media posts and their smartphones used for clinical or research purposes. METHODS: In this survey study, we surveyed patients (N=238) in an outpatient clinic waiting room. Willingness to share social media and passive smartphone data was summarized for the sample as a whole and broken down by sex, age, and race. RESULTS: Most patients who had a social media account and who were receiving talk therapy treatment (74.4%, 99/133) indicated that they would be willing to share their social media posts with their therapists. The percentage of patients willing to share passive smartphone data with researchers varied from 40.8% (82/201) to 60.7% (122/201) depending on the parameter, with sleep duration being the parameter with the highest percentage of patients willing to share. A total of 30.4% of patients indicated that media stories of social media privacy breaches made them more hesitant about sharing passive smartphone data with researchers. Sex and race were associated with willingness to share smartphone data, with men and whites being the most willing to share. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that most patients in a psychiatric outpatient setting would share social media and passive smartphone data and that further research elucidating patterns of willingness to share passive data is needed.

The Relation of Rigidity Across Relationships With Symptoms and Functioning: An Investigation With the Revised Central Relationship Questionnaire.

The belief that rigidity across relationships is related to greater symptoms and poorer functioning commonly informs the practice of many psychodynamic and interpersonal therapists. Using a profile correlation approach, we tested this hypothesis in a sample of 250 clients and 90 undergraduate control participants. Symptoms and functioning were assessed with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP), Global Assessment of Functioning scale, and Brief Symptom Inventory. A revised version of the empirically-derived Central Relationship Questionnaire (CRQ) was used to measure interpersonal patterns. Revisions were made to the CRQ to increase the interpersonal dimensions it captured, reduce its length, and model a higher-order factor structure. The psychometric properties of the revised CRQ were found to be adequate. Rigidity as measured with the CRQ was not related to rigidity measured with the IIP (amplitude) and did not differ significantly among individuals with different interpersonal problems or DSM-IV diagnoses. Contrary to theory, however, greater rigidity across relationships was related to fewer symptoms and interpersonal problems. These relations did not appear due to the valence or the extremeness of the interpersonal patterns used in the estimation of rigidity.

Impact of a medical home model on costs and utilization among comorbid HIV-positive Medicaid patients.

OBJECTIVES: The Pennsylvania Chronic Care Initiative (CCI) was a statewide patient-centered medical home (PCMH) initiative implemented from 2008 to 2011. This study examined whether the CCI affected utilization and costs for HIV-positive Medicaid patients with both medical and behavioral health comorbidities. STUDY DESIGN: Nonrandomized comparison of 302 HIV-positive Medicaid patients treated in 137 CCI practices and 2577 HIV-positive Medicaid patients treated elsewhere. METHODS: All patients had chronic medical conditions (diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, or congestive heart failure) and a psychiatric and/or substance use disorder. Analyses used Medicaid claims data to examine changes in total per patient costs per month from 1 year prior to 1 year following an index episode. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for potential sample differences. Secondary outcomes included costs and utilization of emergency department, inpatient, and outpatient/pharmacy services. RESULTS: We identified an average total cost savings of $214.10 per patient per month (P = .002) for the CCI group relative to the non-CCI group. This was a function of decreased inpatient medical (-$415.69; P = .007) and outpatient substance abuse treatment (-$4.86; P = .001) costs, but increased non-HIV pharmacy costs ($158.43; P = .001). Utilization for the CCI group, relative to the non-CCI group, was correspondingly decreased for inpatient medical services (odds ratio [OR], 0.619; P = .002) and inpatient services overall (OR, 0.404; P = .001), but that group had greater numbers of outpatient medical service claims when they occurred (11.7%; P = .003) and increased non-HIV pharmacy claims (9.7%; P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: There was increased outpatient service utilization, yet relative cost savings, for HIV-positive Medicaid patients with medical and behavioral health comorbidities who were treated in PCMHs.

Which patients benefit specifically from short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) for depression? Study protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data.

INTRODUCTION: Short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) is an empirically supported treatment that is often used to treat depression. However, it is largely unclear if certain subgroups of depressed patients can benefit specifically from this treatment method. We describe the protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data (IPD) aimed at identifying predictors and moderators of STPP for depression efficacy. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a systematic literature search in multiple bibliographic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase.com, Web of Science and Cochrane's Central Register of Controlled Trials), 'grey literature' databases (GLIN and UMI ProQuest) and a prospective trial register (http://www.controlled-trials.com). We will include studies reporting (a) outcomes on standardised measures of (b) depressed (c) adult patients (d) receiving STPP. We will next invite the authors of these studies to share the participant-level data of their trials and combine these data to conduct IPD meta-analyses. The primary outcome for this study is post-treatment efficacy as assessed by a continuous depression measure. Potential predictors and moderators include all sociodemographic variables, clinical variables and psychological patient characteristics that are measured before the start of treatment and are assessed consistently across studies. One-stage IPD meta-analyses will be conducted using mixed-effects models. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Institutional review board approval is not required for this study. We intend to submit reports of the outcomes of this study for publication to international peer-reviewed journals in the fields of psychiatry or clinical psychology. We also intend to present the outcomes at international scientific conferences aimed at psychotherapy researchers and clinicians. The findings of this study can have important clinical implications, as they can inform expectations of STPP efficacy for individual patients, and help to make an informed choice concerning the best treatment option for a given patient. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42017056029.