Motivaton for change as a predictor of treatment response for dysthymia / Motivación para el cambio como predictor de la respuesta terapéutica en la distimia

OBJECTIVE: Dysthymia constitutes a chronic, mild affective disorder characterized by heterogeneous treatment effects. Several predictors of clinical response and attendance have been postulated, although research on the role of the psychological variables involved in this mental disorder is still scarce. METHOD: Fifty-four adult patients, who met criteria for dysthymia completed an ongoing naturalistic treatment based on the brief interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-B), which was delivered bimonthly over 16 months. As potential predictor variables, the therapeutic alliance, coping strategies, perceived self-efficacy, and motivation for change were measured at baseline. Outcome variables were response to treatment (Clinical Global Impression and Beck's Depression Inventory) and treatment attendance. RESULTS: stepwise multiple linear regression analyses revealed that higher motivation for change predicted better response to treatment. Moreover, higher motivation for change also predicted treatment attendance. Therapeutic alliance was not a predictor variable of neither clinical response nor treatment attendance. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings support the adjunctive use of motivational interviewing (MI) techniques in the treatment of dysthymia. Further research with larger sample size and follow-up assessment is warranted

OBJETIVO: la distimia constituye un trastorno afectivo crónico caracterizado por una respuesta heterogénea al tratamiento. Se han postulado diversas variables predictoras de dicha respuesta terapéutica, aunque la investigación acerca del papel de las variables psicológicas es todavía escasa. MÉTODO: cincuenta y cuatro pacientes diagnosticados de distimia completaron un tratamiento naturalístico bimensual de 16 meses de duración basado en la psicoterapia interpersonal. Como posibles variables predictoras se evaluó al inicio del tratamiento la alianza terapéutica, las estrategias de afrontamiento, la autoeficacia percibida y la motivación para el cambio. Las variables de tratamiento fueron la respuesta terapéutica (Escala de Impresión Clínica Global e Inventario de Depresión de Beck) y la adherencia terapéutica. RESULTADOS:los análisis de regresión múltiple indicaron que una mayor motivación para el cambio predijo una mejor respuesta al tratamiento. Por otra parte, una mayor motivación para el cambio también predijo una mayor adherencia al tratamiento. La alianza terapéutica no fue una variable predictora ni de la respuesta ni de la adherencia al tratamiento. CONCLUSIONES: estos resultados preliminares apoyan el uso complementario de la entrevista motivacional en el tratamiento de la distimia. Son necesarios estudios adicionales con un mayor tamaño muestral y evaluaciones adicionales durante el seguimiento postratamiento

Estudio psicológico del trastorno distímico en la mujer / Psychological study of the dysthymic disorder in the woman

En este artículo estudiamos a dos mujeres distímicas a quiénes tratamos mediante psicoterapia y, a partir de ahí, se pusieron de manifiesto aquellos componentes “internos” que sustentan los síntomas depresivos. Estos mismos hallazgos se confirmaron en otras pacientes con idéntico diagnóstico. El resultado consistió en descubrir una desinserción sentimental respecto a sus parejas, permaneciendo con ellos sin separarse, al tiempo que van apareciendo insidiosamente las manifestaciones depresivas. Este desarrollo las lleva a la caída del “ideal de amor” al que aspiraban, que sostenía sus vidas y funcionaba como una “agarradera de la personalidad”. Tales apreciaciones ponen en cuestión las nociones clásicas acerca del “duelo” (AU)

In this article, we study two dysthymic women who we are treating with psychotherapy in order to reveal the inner components that maintain depressive symptoms. The same findings have been confirmed in other dysthymic patients. The result of the study consisted in discovering a sentimental separation from their love object, while the woman still lives with her partner and while the depressive symptoms are appearing insidiously. This development leads them to the deterioration in the “ideal of love” they sought, that supported their lives and served as an “anchor of their personality”. This point of view places classic notion about mourning into doubt (AU)

[Familial transmission of depression: the importance of harm avoidance]. / Familiäre Transmission depressiver Störungen : Die Bedeutung von Schadensvermeidung.

BACKGROUND: Previous research about the aetiology of depression has analysed how depression-associated personality traits influence familial transmission. Using the community-based sample of the Greifswald Family Study, we investigated longitudinally to which extent the temperament factor harm avoidance influences the correlation between parent's depression and the depression of their offspring (with regard to possible sex differences). METHODS: To test this familial transmission a structural equation model was conducted with the data of 193 children (mean age 19.5, SD=2.41) and their biological parents. Depression was assessed with structured clinical interviews, and harm avoidance with Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI, JTCI). RESULTS: The harm avoidance scores of the mothers were significantly correlated with the harm avoidance scores of their children, but the correlation of the father's and children's scores did not reach significance. The extent of harm avoidance at the first assessment of the 14-year-old children predicted depression 5 years later. CONCLUSION: These results indicate the importance of personality as a vulnerability marker for developing affective disorders. The results are discussed with respect to prevention programmes for children and parents with depression, especially if they exhibit strongly avoidant or anxious behaviour.

Prevention of depression among Icelandic adolescents.

Major depression and dysthymia are frequent, debilitating, and chronic disorders, whose highest rate of initial onset is during the late adolescent years. The effectiveness of a program designed to prevent an initial episode of major depression or dysthymia among adolescents was investigated. Participants were 171 fourteen-year-old "at risk" Icelandic adolescents who were randomly assigned to a prevention program or a treatment-as-usual assessment only control group. They were identified as "at risk" by reporting the presence of depressive symptoms or a negative attributional style. The program was based on a developmental psychosocial model of enhancement of resilience to factors associated with the occurrence of mood disorders. The results indicated that the prevention program resulted in a significantly lower rate of major depression and dysthymia than did the control group. The study demonstrated that school personnel in the school setting can implement such prevention programs.

Preventing adolescent depression: an evaluation of the problem solving for life program.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Problem Solving For Life program as a universal approach to the prevention of adolescent depression. Short-term results indicated that participants with initially elevated depressions scores (high risk) who received the intervention showed a significantly greater decrease in depressive symptoms and increase in life problem-solving scores from pre- to postintervention compared with a high-risk control group. Low-risk participants who received the intervention reported a small but significant decrease in depression scores over the intervention period, whereas the low-risk controls reported an increase in depression scores. The low-risk group reported a significantly greater increase in problem-solving scores over the intervention period compared with low-risk controls. These results were not maintained, however, at 12-month follow-up.

Acute and maintenance treatment of chronic depression.

Chronic forms of depression account for approximately one third of all depressions. They are underrecognized and undertreated. This article defines the types of chronic depressions (dysthymic disorder, double depression, chronic major depression, and major depression in incomplete remission). A review of treatments for patients with these conditions is provided. The basic principles of treatment of chronic depression involve longer treatment and higher doses than are usually required for acute major depression. The impact of psychosocial disability and severity of depressive symptoms can be ameliorated with appropriate treatment. Newer treatments, such as the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, may prove to be of greatest benefit for individuals with chronic mood disorders.

Combining serotonin reuptake inhibitors and bupropion in partial responders to antidepressant monotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Many patients with affective illness show partial or otherwise unsatisfactory responses to standard treatments, encouraging trials of combinations of pharmacologically dissimilar antidepressants. METHOD: Records of consecutive outpatients with affective disorders only partially responsive to treatment with a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) or bupropion, alone, were reviewed for changes in specific symptoms and risks of adverse events when an SRI and bupropion were combined. RESULTS: Greater symptomatic improvement was found in 19 (70%) of 27 subjects during a mean +/- SD of 11 +/- 14 months of combined daily use of bupropion (243 +/- 99 mg) with an SRI (31 +/- 16 mg fluoxetine-equivalents) than with either agent alone. Adverse effect risks were similar to those associated with each monotherapy, with a > 10% incidence of sexual dysfunction (N = 11, 41%), insomnia (N = 6, 22%), anergy (N = 4, 15%), and tremor (N = 3, 11%) during combined therapy; there were no seizures. CONCLUSION: With conservative dosing and close monitoring, combinations of SRIs with bupropion in this uncontrolled clinical series appeared to be safe and often more effective than monotherapy.

Childhood and adolescent depression: a review of the past 10 years. Part II.

OBJECTIVE: To review the literature of the past decade covering the assessment, treatment, and prevention of early-onset major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymic disorder (DD). METHOD: A computerized search for articles published during the past decade was made, and selected studies are presented. RESULTS: Diagnostic systems and standardized interviews have been developed to reliably assess and diagnose early-onset MDD and DD. To data, few controlled psychotherapeutic trials, in particular cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and one study using fluoxetine have been shown to be efficacious in the acute management of early-onset MDD. While studies of tricyclic antidepressants have shown no difference between medication and placebo, these studies are inconclusive because of the inclusion of small samples and other methodological issues. CBT may also be useful for the prevention of MDD. No studies have been published on maintenance treatment of MDD or the treatment of early-onset DD. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions have a role in the acute treatment of MDD. However, further research on the separate and combined efficacy of these treatments for the acute treatment, maintenance, and prevention of early-onset MDD and DD is needed. The impact of comorbidity and psychosocial consequences of early-onset depression also emphasize the importance of utilizing a multimodal approach to treatment.