Interpersonal psychotherapy for bereavement-related major depressive disorder in Japan: a pilot study

Abstract

AbstractBereavement-related major depressive disorder (MDD) is common in Japan; however, no established therapies have been adapted to the unique Japanese cultural norms and practices. Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) has established efficacy for MDD; hence, we developed an adapted IPT program and conducted a pilot study, including six patients with bereavement-related MDD confirmed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Depressive symptoms, comorbid psychiatric disorders and grief-related avoidance behaviors were measured at baseline and immediately, three months and six months after treatment. All participants completed treatment without any severe adverse events. Exploratory analyses using the linear mixed-effects model revealed significantly improved depressive symptoms assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 at three months and trends for improvement immediately and six months posttreatment. Our results suggest preliminary evidence of the feasibility and safety of IPT for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition MDD without or with mild features of comorbid anxiety, depression, or trauma-related disorders.

Keywords

• Interpersonal psychotherapy
• bereavement
• depression
• grief
• Japan
• Daryl O’Connor, United Kingdom