COUPLE THERAPY AS A TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION .2. THE EFFECTS OF RELATIONSHIP QUALITY AND THERAPY ON DEPRESSIVE RELAPSE

This study investigated the effects of behavioral couple therapy, cogn itive-behavioral therapy, and their combination on female depression 6 and 12 months after therapy ended. We predicted that couples receivin g a behavioral couple treatment would be less likely to relapse than t hose receiving a cognitive-behavioral treatment for the depressed spou se alone. Relapse rates, however, did not discriminate between treatme nts at any follow-up point. Reductions in husband and wife dysphoria a nd increases in wife facilitative behavior during therapy predicted re covery. Moreover, high rates of husbands' facilitative behavior at pos ttest were associated with wife recovery and predicted low levels of d epression at the 1-year follow-up.