A Pilot Study of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Women with Breast Cancer

This study sought to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) among women with breast cancer. Seven women with breast cancer and MDD received 12 sessions of IPT. Outcome measures included changes in depression severity, as measured by the Hamilton Rating Depression Scale (HAM-D), and global functioning, as measured by the Global Assessment Scale (GAF). Mixed linear models were used to examine whether change in depressive symptoms mediated change in global functioning. The HAM-D decreased from 21.3 (SD=8.1) to 11.1 (9.6) (p = 0.02), whereas the GAF improved from 56.7 (5.5) to 70.3 (15.6) (p = 0.049). A mixed regression model indicated that change in HAM-D scores predicted change in GAF scores (p = 0.03). These results suggest that IPT is a promising treatment for depression in women with breast cancer. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm the results of this study.