INTIMATE BONDS IN DEPRESSION

There is considerable interest in the relationship between interperson al relationships and mood disorders. The Intimate Bond Measure (IBM) a ssesses the respondent's perception of their partner over recent times . IBM care scores have been reported to be independent of depression s everity and personality, to distinguish between melancholic and non-me lancholic depressives, and to predict treatment outcome. In a sample o f 105 depressed patients, IBM care measures were independent of depres sion severity and personality measures, but they did not distinguish b etween melancholic and non-melancholic depressives, and did not predic t treatment outcome. When the sample was restricted to individuals who had been previously treated, IBM care measures did distinguish betwee n melancholic and non-melancholic depressives, although they still did not predict treatment outcome. Possible implications of these finding s are discussed.