DOES THE GENDER OF A PATIENT OR THE GENDER OF A THERAPIST AFFECT THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION

The role of gender was examined in the process and outcome of therapy in the treatment of depressed outpatients seen in the National Institu te of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Pro gram. Patients received either interpersonal therapy, cognitive-behavi oral therapy, imipramine plus clinical management, or placebo plus cli nical management. None Of the therapist-patient by gender groupings (i .e., therapist gender, therapist-patient gender matching vs, mismatchi ng, or patients' beliefs about whether a male or female therapist woul d be more helpful) were significantly related to measures of treatment process and outcome, controlling for type of treatment and severity o f pretreatment depressive symptoms. Findings were duplicated when exam ining the effects of gender within only the psychotherapeutic modes of treatment for the groupings of therapist gender and therapist-patient gender matching versus mismatching.