Does psychotherapy improve alexithymia? A comparison study among patients with mild or moderate depression

Abstract Background Alexithymia is reported to be a risk factor for depression. Psychotherapy is efficient for treatment of depression. Yet, the effect of psychotherapies on alexithymia is poorly understood. Objectives We aimed to compare Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Existential Psychotherapy (ExP) and Supportive Counseling (SUP) for therapeutic efficacy and effect on alexithymia in depression. Methods There were 22 patients for each patient group. Sessions were performed as eight consecutive weekly and following two monthly boosters. Sixty six healthy controls were added. Prior to the sessions, patients received Sociodemographic Data Form, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-1), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). The control group received Sociodemographic Data Form, SCID-1 and TAS-20. Patients additionally received HDRS and TAS-20 after their weekly and booster sessions. Results Patients' mean TAS-20 score was greater than of controls, however, it did not have a significant change throughout the study. Mean HDRS scores of ExP and CBT groups were lower than SUP group at the end. Discussion Alexithymia did not improve with psychotherapy. The exception was effect of ExP on externally oriented thinking. Psychotherapies all improved depression. CBT and ExP were more helpful than SUP.

Mean platelet volume and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio decrease in patients with depression with antidepressant treatment

Abstract Objective Not only white blood cells but also platelets are being considered in inflammatory reactions from now on. Mean platelet volume (MPV) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been shown to change in inflammatory diseases like myocardial infarction, stroke and implicated in psychiatric disorders nowadays. Our first aim is to investigate the relation of MPV and NLR with depression and secondly to assess if they change with the treatment of depression. Methods Forty-nine patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) and hospitalized in a university hospital psychiatry inpatient unit retrospectively included in the study. Control group consisted of 48 hospital workers with no known disease. Complete blood count, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S) scores at admission and at discharge were noted and compared for the patient group. Discussion MPV of depressed patients was higher than controls. When we look at admission and discharge scores of clinical scales, decrement is statistically significant for both HAM-D and CGI-S. There was decline both in MPV and NLR which were both statistically significant. Conclusion Decreasing MPV and NLR values with the treatment of depression confirm the involvement of inflammatory processes in the pathophysiology of depression.