Interpersonal differentiation within depression diagnosis: Relating interpersonal subgroups to symptom load and the quality of the early therapeutic alliance

Abstract

We examined interpersonal problems in psychotherapy outpatients with a principal diagnosis of a depressive disorder in routine care (n=361). These patients were compared to a normative non-clinical sample and to outpatients with other principal diagnoses (n=959). Furthermore, these patients were statistically assigned to interpersonally defined subgroups that were compared regarding symptoms and the quality of the early alliance. The sample of depressive patients reported higher levels of interpersonal problems than the normative sample and the sample of outpatients without a principal diagnosis of depression. Latent Class Analysis identified eight distinct interpersonal subgroups, which differed regarding self-reported symptom load and the quality of the early alliance. However, therapists' alliance ratings did not differentiate between the groups. This interpersonal differentiation within the group of patients with a principal diagnosis of depression may add to a personalized psychotherapy based on interpersonal profiles.