Depression in primary care:Interpersonal Counseling vs Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors(SSRI)

Interpersonal counseling (IPC) .IPC is a short-term highly-structured psychological intervention, derived from Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) and suitable for different medical contexts.IPC is a treatment of six thirty-minute sessions, with the initial session being longer (1 hour). IPC is self-dosing: the patient determines the length of treatment, many patients feel satisfied with fewer than six sessions.In our study IPC have been adapted to accommodate needs of patients with Major Depression. In the trial the recommended number of counseling sessions is six-eight thirty-minute sessions weekly. Therapist determines if there is need of one or two additional session (6+1 or 6 + 2).IPC is delivered by residents in psychiatry, or in clinical psychology .They attended a 3-days seminar on interpersonal theory’s foundations and IPC structure and techniques; clinical examples were also discussed. Subsequently, monthly supervisions were scheduled with an IPT supervisor in order to discuss cases and to warrant the intervention’s consistency. IPC sessions were videotaped, after a signed consent was obtained from the patient, and discussed during supervisions. Patients with a HDRS score > or =13 at 2-months follow-up will receive a combined treatment including IPC and SSRI. In particular those in IPC arm begin the antidepressant therapy and will continue IPC for further 4-6 sessions.