Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Rachel Margolis, PhD, MSW

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Children's National Research Institute

Disqualifiers: Bipolar, Schizophrenia, Substance abuse, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 2 Jurisdictions This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 12

Duration: 8-12 weeks

60 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to test Enhanced Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B) to determine its effectiveness in reducing depression in mothers and improving asthma management in their children. Researchers will compare IPT-B to usual care methods. The trial seeks mothers who are primary caregivers, identify as Black, speak English, have symptoms of depression, and have children aged 4-11 with asthma. The goal is to assess whether IPT-B not only alleviates maternal depression but also enhances asthma outcomes for their children. As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to contribute to significant research that could advance mental health and asthma care for families.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It is best to discuss this with the trial coordinators.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that Enhanced Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B) is generally well-received by patients. Studies have demonstrated that IPT-B, a version of Interpersonal Psychotherapy, effectively reduces symptoms of depression. For instance, one study found that brief IPT significantly lowered depression symptoms in pregnant individuals.

These studies reported no major safety issues. Patients typically did not experience serious side effects, suggesting that IPT-B is a safe option for treating depression. Its focus on effectively managing depressive symptoms is encouraging for those considering joining a trial. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Enhanced Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B) is unique because it offers a focused, time-efficient approach to treating depression. Unlike traditional psychotherapy, which can be open-ended and lengthy, Enhanced IPT-B aims to provide results through short-term, targeted sessions. Researchers are excited about this treatment as it enhances existing interpersonal therapy techniques to improve mood and interpersonal relationships more quickly and effectively. This approach could be especially beneficial for patients seeking quicker relief and improved social functioning.

What evidence suggests that Enhanced IPT-B could be an effective treatment for maternal depression?

Research has shown that Enhanced Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B), which participants in this trial may receive, effectively reduces depression symptoms. One study found that IPT-B significantly improved social skills and reduced depression symptoms. Another study discovered that IPT-B led to higher rates of full recovery from depression. This therapy is a shorter, more focused version of traditional Interpersonal Psychotherapy. It helps people with depression by enhancing their relationships and social skills. These findings suggest that IPT-B is a promising treatment for reducing depression. ^{1 2 3 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Rachel Margolis, PhD, MSW

Principal Investigator

Children's National Research Institute

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for mothers with depression who have children aged 4-11 years with asthma, treated at an urban pediatric asthma clinic. Participants should not be currently receiving structured psychotherapy and must be able to attend multiple therapy sessions.

Inclusion Criteria

Maternal: PHQ-9 ≥ 10 during standardized screening at the child with asthma's clinic visit

Maternal: Black (self-identified)

My child is covered by public health insurance.

Exclusion Criteria

Maternal: Schizophrenia

Maternal: Current substance abuse/dependence

Maternal: Acutely suicidal (high risk on the C-SSRS at child's asthma clinic visit)

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

1 visit (in-person)

Treatment

Mothers receive Enhanced IPT-B, consisting of a pre-treatment session and eight weekly psychotherapy sessions

8-12 weeks

9 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for maternal mental health and child asthma management outcomes

6 months

2 visits (in-person) at 3 and 6 months post-baseline

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Enhanced Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy
• Supplemented Usual Care

Trial Overview The study tests Enhanced Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B) against supplemented usual care in reducing maternal depression and improving child asthma management. It will assess the effectiveness of IPT-B delivered in a real-world clinical setting.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Enhanced IPT-B Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Enhanced Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Group II: Supplemented Usual Care Active Control 1 Intervention

Short-term care coordination

Enhanced Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy is already approved in United States, European Union for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Interpersonal Psychotherapy for:

• Major Depressive Disorder
• Postpartum Depression

Approved in European Union as Interpersonal Psychotherapy for:

• Major Depressive Disorder
• Postpartum Depression

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Children's National Research Institute

Lead Sponsor

Trials

227

Recruited

258,000+

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Collaborator

Trials

473

Recruited

1,374,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) has been adapted for chronic unipolar depression, focusing on improving interpersonal functioning, which is crucial for patients with ongoing interpersonal difficulties.

Recent studies suggest that while IPT can provide some benefits for chronic depression, these effects are modest and not specific, indicating that more research is needed to fully understand its efficacy in this context.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interpersonal psychotherapy for chronic depression. Markowitz, JC.[2022]

Training in interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for therapists in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs led to significant improvements in their competency, with 93% of therapists completing the training and showing increased skills in delivering IPT.

Veteran patients receiving IPT experienced large reductions in depression symptoms (effect size d = 1.26) and significant improvements in quality of life and therapeutic alliance, demonstrating the effectiveness of IPT in treating depression in this population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

National dissemination of interpersonal psychotherapy for depression in veterans: therapist and patient-level outcomes. Stewart, MO., Raffa, SD., Steele, JL., et al.[2018]

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is a well-established short-term therapy for depression, typically involving 16 to 20 sessions, and has been shown to be effective in various controlled studies.

IPT focuses on improving interpersonal relationships and addressing life problems, which helps reduce depressive symptoms and supports patients in resolving their current challenges.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) of depression: an overview of the psychiatric historical background and clinical practice of IPT]. Grüttert, T., Huchzermeier, C., Aldenhoff, J.[2006]

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) was successfully integrated into a psychiatry residency program over a 5-year period, highlighting its effectiveness as a brief, evidence-based treatment for acute major depression.

The implementation process not only enhanced the training of residents in evidence-based treatment approaches but also helped convey essential psychotherapy concepts, indicating its value in medical education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Implementing interpersonal psychotherapy in a psychiatry residency training program. Lichtmacher, J., Eisendrath, SJ., Haller, E.[2006]

Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B) is an effective eight-session adaptation of standard Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) designed for individuals who may not be able to commit to longer therapy, providing similar benefits in fewer sessions.

Empirical evidence from multiple studies, including randomized controlled trials, supports IPT-B's efficacy in delivering rapid relief from depression while also being resource-efficient.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B): Overview and Review of Evidence. Swartz, HA., Grote, NK., Graham, P.[2019]

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is effective for treating depression, but some patients may drop out or not respond adequately, highlighting the need to address treatment limitations.

To improve IPT outcomes, factors such as enhancing the therapeutic alliance, adapting treatment to individual patient characteristics, and potentially combining IPT with medication can be beneficial.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Failures in interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT): factors related to treatment resistances. Ravitz, P., McBride, C., Maunder, R.[2021]

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) has proven effective in randomized controlled trials for treating major depression and bulimia across various patient populations.

Despite its efficacy for depression, IPT showed no benefits for patients with substance abuse issues, highlighting the need for tailored treatments in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Developments in interpersonal psychotherapy. Markowitz, JC.[2017]

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is an effective, standardized, and economical treatment for depression that focuses on resolving psychosocial and interpersonal conflicts, making it a valuable option in psychiatric care.

IPT can be quickly learned by experienced therapists through a standardized training program, which may lead to its increased adoption in Germany's mental health services.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Current status of interpersonal psychotherapy]. Schramm, E., Berger, M.[2019]

In a study of 182 patients with major depressive disorder, interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) was found to be equally effective across all four problem areas (grief, role transitions, role disputes, interpersonal deficits), with no significant differences in remission times.

Patients focusing on role transitions experienced faster remission compared to those addressing role disputes, suggesting that certain interpersonal issues may respond more quickly to IPT strategies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Comparative outcomes among the problem areas of interpersonal psychotherapy for depression. Levenson, JC., Frank, E., Cheng, Y., et al.[2021]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4603530/

Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B) - PubMed Central Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-B) is an eight-session adaption of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), an evidence-based psychotherapy for depression.

2. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00245193

Study Details | NCT00245193 | Motivationally-Enhanced ... This study will investigate the effectiveness of MI-IPT-B in treating depression in mothers who bring their children to a child mental health ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10228570/

Randomized trial of brief interpersonal psychotherapy and ... This study provides preliminary evidence supporting the efficacy of both brief IPT and CBT, delivered by either TH or IP, for depression.

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032722011338

Effect of interpersonal psychotherapy on social functioning ... The results showed that IPT had significant effects on improving social functioning (SMD: −0.53, 95 % CI: −0.80 to −0.26), reducing depression ( ...

5. psychiatryonline.org psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20200039

Change Mechanisms in Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy ... The RCT results indicated that, compared with MSS-Plus, IPT-B significantly reduced depressive symptoms, achieved higher remission rates, and ...

6. jamanetwork.com jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2803843

Effect of Brief Interpersonal Therapy on Depression During ... In this study, brief IPT significantly reduced prenatal depression symptoms and MDD compared with EUC among pregnant individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, ...

7. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04721678?term=INDIGO&rank=7

Internet-administered Interpersonal Psychotherapy for ... The aim of the study is to test the efficacy of a treatment for depression based on interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). The treatment will be accessed via an ...