AUTHOR=Niedermoser Daryl Wayne , Kalak Nadeem , Kiyhankhadiv Anna , Brand Serge , Walter Corinna , Schweinfurth Nina , Lang Undine E. 

TITLE=Workplace-Related Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy to Improve Life at Work in Individuals With Major Depressive Disorders: A Randomized Interventional Pilot Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00168

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00168

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objectives</title><p>Individuals suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) often report workplace-related stress as the major cause of their disorder. Accordingly, workplace-related stress was established as a fifth psychosocial problem area of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (workplace-related Interpersonal Psychotherapy, W-IPT). The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of W-IPT on depressive symptoms and on workplace-related issues in individuals with MDD compared to a treatment-as-usual (TAU) condition.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 27 individuals with MDD (mean age = 43 years, 48% males) were randomly assigned either to eight weekly group sessions of W-IPT or to the TAU condition. At baseline, 8 weeks later at the end of the intervention, and 20 weeks later at follow-up, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression was conducted. In addition, the participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Work Ability Index (WAI), the Return to Work Attitude (RTW-SE), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Symptoms of depression in experts' ratings as well as in self-rated ratings decreased over time, but more so in the W-IPT condition compared to the TAU condition [experts rating: large effect size (<italic>d</italic> = 1.25) and self-assessment: large effect sizes (<italic>d</italic> = 0.94)]. The subjective ability to work (WAI) [medium effect size (<italic>d</italic> = 0.68)], self-efficacy to returning to work RTW-SE [medium effect size (<italic>d</italic> = 0.57)], and subjective symptoms of insomnia (ISI) [large effect size (<italic>d</italic> = 1.15)] increased over time, but again more so in the W-IPT condition compared to the TAU condition. The effects of the intervention remained stable from the end of the intervention to follow-up.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>The pattern of results of this pilot study suggests that a newly established fifth IPT focus on workplace-related stress appeared to be particularly efficient in individuals with MDD due to work-related stress in reducing depressive symptoms and reducing sleep complaints as well as in improving occupational outcomes.</p></sec>