FOCI OF INTERPERSONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY (IPT) IN DEPRESSED ELDERS - CLINICAL AND OUTCOME CORRELATES IN A COMBINED IPT NORTRIPTYLINE PROTOCOL/

The primary problem areas or foci of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in elders with recurrent major depression, the clinical correlates of single and multiple IPT foci, and their relationship to acute clinica l response are described. 127 consecutive elderly patients (mean age 6 7.9, sd = 6.0) participating in the open (i.e., nonblind, nonrandomize d) acute and continuation phases of a controlled maintenance therapies protocol were treated with combined IPT and nortriptyline. Multivaria te analysis of variance was used to contrast the clinical and demograp hic profiles associated with different IPT foci. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, stratifying on primary IPT focus, and by single versus mult iple foci, was used to assess rapidity of response to treatment. We fo und no association between IPT focus (interpersonal dispute, role tran sition, or grief) and probability of recovery, or time to clinical res ponse, under conditions of open combined treatment, nor between multip le versus single IPT foci, despite important pretreatment differences in clinical correlates of primary problem areas. Recovery from recurre nt major depression using combined therapy is equally likely whether t he IPT focus is multiple or single, grief-related, or based on a recen t role transition or interpersonal dispute.