Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy Research Articles

Implementing and evaluating group interpersonal therapy for postnatal depression in Lebanon and Kenya—individually randomised superiority trial

BackgroundDepression ranks as the foremost mental health concern among childbearing women. Within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), between 20 and 25% of women encounter depression during pregnancy or soon after delivery. This condition impacts not only the mothers but also their offspring. Offspring of women suffering from postnatal depression (PND) exhibit suboptimal cognitive development and increased emotional and behavioural issues throughout their growth. This scenario becomes more pronounced in LMICs, where numerous adversities further jeopardise children’s developmental progress. Despite antenatal services providing a pivotal platform to address women’s mental health needs, PND treatment remains inaccessible in many LMICs. The World Health Organization advocates interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for treating depression. While research from high-income countries has established the efficacy of IPT and group-IPT (g-IPT) for PND, its effectiveness within the LMIC context and its potential benefits for child development remain uncharted. This study seeks to gauge the potency of g-IPT for women with PND in two LMICs.MethodsThis multi-site randomised controlled trial is a continuation of two preceding phases—conceptual mapping and a feasibility study executed in Lebanon and Kenya. Insights gleaned from these phases underpin this comprehensive RCT, which contrasts the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of high-quality standard care (HQ-SC) augmented with g-IPT against HQ-SC in isolation. The trial, characterised as an individually randomised superiority assessment, targets women with postnatal depression in Beirut, Lebanon, and Nairobi, Kenya. It aims to determine if culturally tailored g-IPT, administered within community settings in both countries, outperforms HQ-SC in influencing child developmental outcomes, maternal depression, and the quality of the mother–child bond.DiscussionThe SUMMIT trial, designed with pragmatism, possesses the magnitude to evaluate g-IPT within two LMIC frameworks. It seeks to enlighten policymakers, service commissioners, professionals, and users about g-IPT’s potential to alleviate maternal PND and bolster child developmental outcomes in LMICs. Additionally, the trial will generate valuable data on the clinical and economic merits of high-quality standard care.Trial registrationISRCTN, ISRCTN15154316. Registered on 27 September 2023, https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN15154316

Perceptions, facilitators and barriers to the implementation of interpersonal group therapy to treat depression among people living with HIV in Senegal: a qualitative study.

Depression is highly prevalent in people living with HIV (PLWH) but remains under treated in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this context, we conducted the first study of Group Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) to treat depression in PLWH in Senegal. We assessed the perceptions and experiences of patients and group facilitators, as well as barriers to implementation. This study was conducted at the Fann National University Hospital Center in Dakar, the urban capital of Senegal. Qualitative data were collected during the implementation phase (February to June 2020 and then from January to February 2021), with a 6-month pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-five patients and three group facilitators were individually interviewed by a socio-anthropologist. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Group IPT was perceived as successful and beneficial by patients and facilitators. Patients reported positive experiences with group IPT and sustained outcomes. Beyond improving depressive symptoms, patients reported improvements in their social and professional lives, and the development of skills to prevent relapse. Group facilitators noted the benefits of therapy for their patients and for their professional skills, reporting greater clinical competence and improved supportive skills. Challenges to intervention implementation included confidentiality and patient privacy concerns, healthcare accessibility issues, and time demands. In this first qualitative study of group IPT for depression in PLWH in Senegal, participants described both positive experiences with the intervention and challenges to its implementation. Future studies, conducted in suburban and rural communities outside of Dakar, would further inform the implementation of IPT in Senegal.

Effects of Therapeutic Alliance in Interpersonal Psychotherapy Among Adolescent Girls With Loss-of-Control Eating.

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) has been proposed for prevention of excess weight gain among adolescents with loss-of-control (LOC) eating. Mixed findings from a trial testing this conjecture warrant elucidation of potential outcome predictors. The therapeutic alliance (adolescent-facilitator emotional bond and task collaboration) may be important for IPT but has received little attention in weight-related interventions. This study evaluated associations of adolescent-reported therapeutic alliance during IPT with weight- and eating-related outcomes. Secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trial were conducted to compare group IPT to health education (HE) for preventing excess weight gain among 113 girls (ages 12-17) with body mass index (BMI) at the 75th to 97th percentile and LOC eating. BMI and LOC eating were measured at baseline, 12 weeks (postintervention), and 1 year. Multilevel modeling was used to test associations between change in therapeutic alliance (from session 1 to session 12) and changes in weight- and eating-related outcomes (from postintervention to 1 year). Analyses were controlled for therapeutic alliance after session 1 and for baseline and postintervention outcome values; group assignment (IPT vs. HE) was a moderator. Increases in emotional bond were associated with decreased weight and with greater decreases in number of LOC eating episodes at 1 year in the IPT group (p<0.05) and with weight gain in the HE group (p<0.05). Greater task collaboration was related to greater weight gain at 1-year follow-up, regardless of group assignment (p<0.05). The association of therapeutic alliance during IPT with weight and LOC eating outcomes among adolescent girls merits further investigation.

Comparative efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy and interpersonal therapy in the treatment of depression: A randomized controlled study

Background: Depressive disorders are one of the most common psychiatric disorders that occur in people of all ages. Aim: To assess the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT) in cases of depression. Materials and Methods: The sample for the study comprised 52 diagnosed cases of major depressive disorder (MDD) based on the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria in the age range of 21 to 50 years. They were randomized with the help of the app and assigned to CBT and IPT groups. Two patients had dropped out of the CBT group. Hence, finally, 50 cases were taken for study. A total of 12 therapy sessions were given. All patients were given standard treatment as prescribed. Results: Findings of paired samples t-test to assess the within-group differences in both the groups (CBT and IPT) as well as gains score statistics or difference score statistics (pre-test minus post-test) were applied to compare group differences. Results of paired samples ‘t’ test suggest that there was a statistically significant difference in the scores of both the groups from pre-test to post-test. IPT group had shown significantly better outcomes as quantified by the percentage of patients scoring less on the outcome variable of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Hopelessness Scale, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Conclusion: Both CBT and IPT are efficacious in the treatment of MDD. IPT yielded better results on MADRS as compared to CBT on parameters of outcome in the present study. The findings indicate that interventions were effective in reducing the symptoms of depression.

Analysis of implementation processes in a hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for major depressive disorder in prisons: Training, supervision, and recommendations.

There are 10 million admissions to U.S. prisons and jails each year. More than half of those admitted have mental health problems. The goal of this article is to inform: (1) implementation of evidence-based mental health treatments in prisons and jails, an important effort that needs more evidence to guide it; (2) psychotherapy and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) training efforts, especially in low-resource settings. A randomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of group IPT for major depressive disorder (MDD) in state prisons found that IPT increased rates of MDD remission and lowered posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms relative to prison treatment as usual. The trial used prison counselors, only some of whom had prior psychotherapy training/experience, to deliver IPT. IPT treatment adherence was high (96%), but trial training and supervision were too costly to be scalable outside the trial. The current article reports results from a planned qualitative analysis of 460 structured implementation and supervision documents in that trial to describe training and supervision processes and lessons learned, inform training recommendations, and facilitate future work to optimize training and supervision for under-resourced settings. Themes identified in implementation and supervision process notes reflected: work on psychotherapy basics (reflective listening, focusing on emotions, open-ended questions, specific experiences), IPT case conceptualization (forming a conceptualization, what is and is not therapeutic work, structure and limit setting, structure vs. flexibility), IPT techniques (enhancing social support, role plays, communication analysis), psychotherapy processes (alliance repair, managing group processes), and managing difficult situations (avoidance, specific clients, challenging work settings). Counselors were receptive to feedback; some relied on study supervisors for support in managing stressful prison working conditions. Findings can be used to make future training and supervision more efficient. Based on our results, we recommend that initial and refresher training focus on IPT case conceptualization, steps for addressing each IPT problem area, and reflective listening. We also recommend supervision through at least counselors' first two rounds of groups. More low-cost, scalable training methods are needed to get mental health treatment to individuals who need it most, who are often served in challenging, low-resource settings such as prisons. This is a mental health access and equity issue. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01685294).

Group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) for borderline personality disorder: A randomized controlled study

Recent evidence supported the notion that add-on group therapy should be provided to individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) who already undergo individual psychotherapy. The present 20 week-study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the adjunction of group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) to individual interpersonal psychotherapy adapted for BPD - revised (IPT-BPD-R) in comparison with individual IPT-BPD-R alone in a group of BPD patients. In addition, demographical and clinical characteristics that can be considered predictors of response to add-on group therapy were investigated. Forty-six patients were randomly assigned to 1) IPT-BPD-R plus IPT-G or to 2) IPT-BPD-R in the waiting list for IPT-G. Patients were assessed at baseline and after 20 weeks with: the Clinical Global Impression Scale, Severity item (CGI-S); the Social Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS); the Satisfaction Profile (SAT-P); the Borderline Personality Disorder Severity Index (BPDSI); the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS); the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form (CTQ-SF); the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-32); and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Statistical analyses included: ANOVA for repeated measures to compare score changes of the rating scales within groups (trial duration) and between groups (treatment modalities), and multiple regression analysis to identify which clinical factors are significantly and independently related to the difference of BPDSI score between baseline and week 20 (Δ BPDSI). The significance level was P ≤ 0.05. Both significant within-subjects effects (duration) and between-subjects effects (treatment modalities) were found for the following rating scales: MOAS; BPDSI items “feelings of emptiness”, “outbursts of anger,” and “affective instability”; RMET; SAT-P items “work” and “sleep, food, free time”; and IIP-32 scale “domineering/controlling”. At the multiple regression analysis BPDSI item “impulsivity”, RMET, and the subscale “socially inhibited” of the IIP-32 were significantly and independently related to Δ BPDSI score. In conclusion, the add-on of IPT-G produced higher improvement in core BPD symptoms, social cognition, a dysfunctional interpersonal style, and subjective quality of life. Subjects who were less impulsive, less socially inhibited, and with higher abilities in social cognition obtained greater benefits from the adjunction of group therapy. Clinical trials registration numberACTRN12623000002684, Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR).

Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy for minoritized Head Start mothers with depressive symptoms: A mixed method study

AbstractThis study explores minoritized mothers’ experiences in group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT‐G) and relates their experiences to treatment outcomes. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from 26 Latinx and Black mothers who participated in IPT‐G. Mothers were divided into three groups: (1) not depressed at follow‐up, (2) depressed at follow‐up, and (3) those with subclinical symptoms throughout the intervention, and similarities and differences across groups were examined. Results showed that mothers not depressed at follow‐up reported high levels of emotional safety in IPT‐G, facilitating emotional processing. Mothers depressed at follow‐up referenced the impact of stigma and had greater difficulty sharing their feelings and also reported lower socioeconomic status and higher levels of trauma. It appears that high levels of environmental stressors and difficulty developing trusting therapeutic relationships were related to experiencing depression at the conclusion of treatment. Alternatively, for many mothers, IPT‐G provided within head start was an effective therapeutic option.

Rationale for Adapting Group Interpersonal Therapy for the Treatment of Psychological Distress Among Seafarers.

Rationale for Adapting Group Interpersonal Therapy for the Treatment of Psychological Distress Among Seafarers.

Management of depression in people living with HIV/AIDS in Senegal: Acceptability, feasibility and benefits of group interpersonal therapy.

Depression is highly prevalent in people living with HIV (PLWH) and has negative consequences for daily life and care. We evaluated for the first time the acceptability, feasibility and benefits of group interpersonal therapy (IPT), combined with a task-shifting approach, to treat depression in PLWH in Senegal. PLWH with depression received group IPT following the World Health Organization protocol. Acceptability and feasibility criteria were defined from the literature data. The PHQ-9, the WHODAS, and the 12-item-stigma scale were used, pre- and post-treatment, including a 3-month follow-up, to assess depressive symptom severity, functioning and stigma, respectively. General linear mixed models were used to describe changes in outcomes over time. Of 69 participants, 60 completed group IPT. Refusal to enroll and dropout rates were 6.6 and 12.7%, respectively. Ninety-seven percent of participants attended at least seven out of eight sessions. Patients and facilitators endorsed group IPT, with willingness to recommend it. Depressive symptoms and disability improved drastically and sustainably. We showed that group IPT is well accepted and feasible in Senegal as treatment for depression in PLWH. Combined with a task-shifting approach, it can narrow the gap in mental health treatment. Implementation may be enhanced by refining patient identification procedures and increasing treatment accessibility.

The effectiveness of interpersonal group therapy on depression and emotion regulation in women with bulimia nervosa

The effectiveness of interpersonal group therapy on depression and emotion regulation in women with bulimia nervosa

Community perspectives on the implementation of a group psychological intervention for adolescents with depression: A qualitative study in rural Nepal.

Group-based psychological interventions could help to close the treatment gap for depression in low-resource settings, but implementation barriers exist. In Nepal we sought community members' perspectives on how to implement group interpersonal therapy for adolescents. We conducted qualitative interviews with 25 adolescents with depression (aged 13-18) and seven health and non-governmental organization workers, and four focus groups with non-depressed adolescents, four with parents/guardians, and two with teachers (126 participants total). Data were analyzed using the Framework Method. Participants recommended same-sex groups. School was the preferred location because it is accessible for adolescents and acceptable to parents. Adolescents wanted facilitators from their own community with good communication skills. They did not want parents or teachers to participate in groups but emphasized the need to inform parents and obtain their permission. Community members supported group psychological intervention. School-based psychological interventions facilitated by local people could be an acceptable option in rural Nepal.

Acceptability and impact of group interpersonal therapy (IPT-G) on Kenyan adolescent mothers living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): a qualitative analysis

BackgroundTask shifting is a well-tested implementation strategy within low- and middle-income countries that addresses the shortage of trained mental health personnel. Task shifting can increase access to care for patients with mental illnesses. In Kenya, community health workers (CHWs) are a combination of community health assistants and community health volunteers and have played a crucial role on this front. In our study, we seek to assess the acceptability and feasibility of Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-G) delivered by CHWs among depressed postpartum adolescents (PPAs) living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).MethodThe study used theoretical framework of behaviour change including: Capability, Opportunity and Motivation (COM-B model) to help understand behavioural changes due to IPT-G intervention delivered by the CHWs. 24 PPAs were administered IPT-G by trained CHWs from two health centres. A two-arm study design (IPT-G intervention and treatment as usual) with an intent to treat was used to assess the acceptability and feasibility of IPT-G. With purposeful sampling, participants who scored > 10 on the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale and who were 6–12 weeks postpartum were eligible for the study. Participants were equally distributed into two groups: one group for intervention and another as a wait-listed group. This was achieved by randomly allocating numerical numbers and separating those with odd numbers (intervention group) and even numbers (wait-listed group). Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews ascertained the experiences and perceptions of the PPAs and the CHWs during IP-G delivery process. In addition to weekly face-to-face continuous supportive supervision for the CHWs, the researchers also utilized phone calls, short messages services and WhatsApp instant messaging services.ResultsThe CHWs found the intervention useful for their own knowledge and skill-set. With regards to participation, 21 out of the 24 adolescents attended all sessions. Most of the adolescents reported an improvement in their interpersonal relationships with reduced distress and lessening of HIV-related stigma. Primary healthcare workers embraced the intervention by accommodating the sessions in their routine clinic activities.ConclusionOur study demonstrates the possible benefits of task shifting in addressing mental health problems within low-resource settings in Kenya, and IPT-G is demonstrated to be both acceptable and feasible by health workers and adolescents receiving care.

Implementation of Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy in primary care.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE To show the implementation process of IPT-G in primary care, including facilitating and obstructing factors, implementation strategies, and training and supervision of primary care professionals.METHODS Quantitative (cross-sectional and longitudinal) analysis of pre and post-knowledge tests; qualitative analyses of the training courses; patient recruitment; conduction of IPT-G sessions; supervision of IPT-G therapists; application of a semi-structured questionnaire to assess, investigate, and develop strategies against the identified barriers.RESULTS About 120 clinicians answered the pre-test; 84 completed the post-test. Pre- and post-test scores of IPT-G knowledge were significantly different. Twenty initially trained clinicians completed additional supervision in IPT-G. Qualitative analysis identified twelve barriers and six facilitators to IPT-G implementation in individual, organizational, and systemic contexts.CONCLUSIONS Implementation of IPT-G in primary care is a complex process with several steps. In the first step, health professionals were successfully trained in IPT-G. However, subsequent steps were more complex. Therefore, careful planning of IPT-G implementation is essential to maximize the success of this innovation.

Protocol for the Healing After Loss (HeAL) Study: a randomised controlled trial of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for major depression following perinatal loss

IntroductionThis protocol describes a study testing the efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) for major depressive disorder following perinatal loss (early and late fetal death and early neonatal death). Perinatal loss...

The effectiveness of interpersonal group therapy on depression and emotion regulation in women with bulimia nervosa

Background and Aim: Bulimia nervosa is characterized by repeated episodes of binge eating (consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time, for example, less than two hours, on average once a week for the past three months) without regular use of disproportionate weight control compensatory behaviors. This research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of interpersonal group therapy on psychological well-being in women with bulimia nervosa. Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and a two-month follow-up test. 30 research samples were selected from the community of women suffering from bulimia nervosa who referred to the Iranian Bulimia Association in Tehran in October and November 2018 and were randomly replaced in two experimental and control groups. The required findings were collected using the psychological well-being questionnaire (Ryff et al., 1989) in three times: pre-test, post-test and follow-up test, and using variance analysis with repeated measurements. Was analyzed. Results: The results showed that interpersonal group therapy is effective in improving the psychological well-being of bulimia nervosa patients (p≥0.005). Bonferroni test showed that this effect is stable over time. Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of interpersonal group therapy on psychological well-being, it is suggested to use interpersonal group therapy for women with bulimia nervosa.

Modifying Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Peripartum Adolescents in Sub-Saharan African Context: Reviewing Differential Contextual and Implementation Considerations

Background This study describes adaptation and modification of World Health Organization (WHO) recommended group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) for depressed peripartum adolescents. The adaptation process includes accommodating contextual factors and strategies to address intervention implementation barriers, such as engagement problems with adolescents, caregivers, and providers, and stigma and dearth of mental health specialists. The modifications include and adolescent relevant iterations to the therapy format and content. Methods A multi-stakeholder led two-stage intervention adaptation and modification process integrating mixed qualitative methods were used with pregnant and parenting adolescents, their partners, and health care workers. In-depth interviews focusing on personal, relationship, social, and cultural barriers experienced by adolescents were carried out modeled on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Focus group discussions with depressed adolescents on their experiences, feedback from caregivers, partners, health workers inform focused modifications. An IPT expert committee of three practitioners, along with UNICEF adolescent officer, and mental health policy expert from Ministry of Health and representative community advisory body reviewed the adaptations and modifications made to the WHO IPT-G manual. Discussion Integration of mental health needs of peripartum adolescents as demonstrated in the stakeholder engagement process, adaptation of key terms into locally relevant language, determination of number of sessions, and user-centric design modifications to digitize a brief version of group interpersonal psychotherapy are presented.

School-based group interpersonal therapy for adolescents with depression in rural Nepal: a mixed methods study exploring feasibility, acceptability, and cost

Adolescents with depression need access to culturally relevant psychological treatment. In many low- and middle-income countries treatments are only accessible to a minority. We adapted group interpersonal therapy (IPT) for adolescents to be delivered through schools in Nepal. Here we report IPT's feasibility, acceptability, and cost. We recruited 32 boys and 30 girls (aged 13-19) who screened positive for depression. IPT comprised of two individual and 12 group sessions facilitated by nurses or lay workers. Using a pre-post design we assessed adolescents at baseline, post-treatment (0-2 weeks after IPT), and follow-up (8-10 weeks after IPT). We measured depressive symptoms with the Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS), and functional impairment with a local tool. To assess intervention fidelity supervisors rated facilitators' IPT skills across 27/90 sessions using a standardised checklist. We conducted qualitative interviews with 16 adolescents and six facilitators post-intervention, and an activity-based cost analysis from the provider perspective. Adolescents attended 82.3% (standard deviation 18.9) of group sessions. All were followed up. Depression and functional impairment improved between baseline and follow-up: DSRS score decreased by 81% (95% confidence interval 70-95); functional impairment decreased by 288% (249-351). In total, 95.3% of facilitator IPT skills were rated superior/satisfactory. Adolescents found the intervention useful and acceptable, although some had concerns about privacy in schools. The estimate of intervention unit cost was US $96.9 with facilitators operating at capacity. School-based group IPT is feasible and acceptable in Nepal. Findings support progression to a randomised controlled trial to assess effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

Preliminary Effectiveness of Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Young Kenyan Mothers With HIV and Depression: A Pilot Trial.

The authors adopted a task-sharing strategy in which lay health workers delivered group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) in primary care clinics in Nairobi, Kenya, to young mothers with HIV and depression. The study examined the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of IPT-G in improving depression and antiretroviral therapy adherence. Twenty-four mothers (ages 18-24 years and 6-12 weeks postpartum) participated. The women were randomly assigned to IPT-G or to a waitlist. Eight lay providers administered the IPT-G sessions across 8 weeks. The primary outcome was pre- to postintervention change in depression scores as measured on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The secondary outcome was antiretroviral therapy adherence. All waitlist participants subsequently received the intervention, and a secondary outcome, within-group analysis, was conducted and included those participants. Participants' median age was 23.0 years, 17 (71%) lived with a partner, and 19 (79%) had fewer than two children. The intervention group had a mean±SD depression score of 15.9±4.3 at baseline and 6.8±7.0 postintervention. For the waitlist control group, the mean score was 17.3±5.9 at baseline and 13.2±6.6 at the first follow-up. Waitlist participants had significantly greater mean depression scores than did intervention group participants at the first follow-up (after the intervention group's 8-week IPT-G) (β=6.42, 95% confidence interval=1.17 to 11.66, p=0.017). No difference was observed between groups in antiretroviral therapy adherence. This study provides preliminary evidence that IPT-G led by community health workers may have benefits for postpartum depression among young mothers with HIV.

Subtyping patients with binge-eating disorder by dietary restraint and negative affect: Characteristics and treatment outcome.

This study examined patients with binge-eating disorder (BED) subtyped by dietary restraint (DR) and the negative affect (NA) dimension of depression, anxiety, hostility, and self-esteem, comparing clinical features and outcome of evidence-based psychological treatments. It was hypothesized that individuals with DR and high NA (DR-HNA) would have lower functioning and poorer immediate and long-term BED treatment outcomes compared to those with DR and low NA (DR-LNA). Cluster analysis was conducted (n = 159) as a secondary analysis of data from a randomized group cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy trial of women and men with BED. At pretreatment, participants with DR-HNA were higher in eating disorder and general psychopathology, emotional eating, and poor social adjustment. At post-treatment, differences in binge days between cluster groups were small and statistically nonsignificant, and differences in rates of binge-eating abstinence were only marginally significant. However, by 1-year follow-up, patients with DR-HNA had a greater increase in binge days, less abstinence from binge eating, a higher risk for relapse, and were significantly less likely to be in BED remission than those with DR-LNA. DR-HNA served as a predictor of poorer maintenance of BED therapeutic improvement. Future directions to better sustain outcomes among patients with DR-HNA include developing a brief measure to assess for the full construct of NA prior to and throughout treatment, enhancing BED interventions by focusing more on NA, and augmenting treatment dose. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Acceptability and feasibility of peer-administered group interpersonal therapy for depression for people living with HIV/AIDS\u2014a pilot study in Northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundPsychological treatments are widely tested and have been effective in treating depressive symptoms. However, implementation of psychological treatments in the real world and in diverse populations remains difficult due to several interacting barriers. In this study, we assessed the acceptability and feasibility of peer-administered group interpersonal therapy for depressive symptoms among people living with HIV/AIDS in Northwest Ethiopia.MethodWe conducted a single-arm, peer-administered, group interpersonal therapy intervention with eight weekly sessions from 15 August to 15 December 2019 among people living with HIV/AIDS in Northwest Ethiopia. Four interpersonal therapy groups were formed for the intervention with a total of 31 participants.ResultsOf the 31 recruited participants, 29 completed the intervention providing a retention rate of 93.5%. The process of the intervention and its outcomes were highly acceptable as most participants expressed success in resolving their psychosocial problems, adjusting to life changes and coping with stigma. The intervention was also reported to be feasible despite anticipated barriers such as access to transportation, perceived stigma and confidentiality concerns. The post-intervention assessment revealed significant reduction in depressive symptoms (mean difference (MD) = 9.92; t = − 7.82; 95% CI, − 12.54, − 7.31; p < 0.001), improvement in perceived social support (MD = 0.79; t = 2.84; 95% CI, 0.22, 1.37; p = 0.009) and quality of life (MD = 0.39; t = 4.58; 95% CI, 0.21, 0.56; p < 0.001).ConclusionGroup interpersonal therapy is feasible and acceptable, and people living with HIV/AIDS can benefit from group interpersonal therapy in managing depressive symptoms and in improving perceived social support and quality of life. Future studies should examine the effectiveness of group interpersonal therapy in this setting.