The Effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy on Depressive Symptoms, Rumination, and Suicidal Ideation in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A Follow-up Study
Keywords:
Intensive Short, Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, major depressive disorder, rumination, suicidal ideation, follow, upAbstract
Introduction and Aim: Major depressive disorder, particularly when accompanied by rumination and suicidal ideation, is a high-risk clinical condition requiring specialized psychological intervention. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy on depressive symptoms, rumination, and suicidal ideation in patients with major depressive disorder across a follow-up period.
Methodology: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population included patients with major depressive disorder who referred to counseling centers in Districts 1 and 3 of Tehran during the summer of 2024. Forty eligible participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy in 10 weekly 60-minute sessions, while the control group was placed on a waiting list. Data were collected using the Beck Depression Inventory, the Ruminative Responses Scale, and the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. The data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS version 27.
Findings: Findings: The results of mixed analysis of variance showed a significant time-by-group interaction effect for depressive symptoms (F = 34.43, p < 0.001, η² = 0.475). Significant time-by-group interaction effects were also found for rumination (F = 28.45, p < 0.001, η² = 0.428) and suicidal ideation (F = 41.47, p < 0.001, η² = 0.522). Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons indicated significant differences between pre-test and post-test and between pre-test and follow-up for all three variables, whereas the differences between post-test and follow-up were not significant.
Conclusion: Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy was effective in reducing depressive symptoms, rumination, and suicidal ideation in patients with major depressive disorder. The persistence of improvements at follow-up suggests that this treatment may produce relatively stable effects on the emotional, cognitive, and suicide-related symptoms of depression.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Alireza Nourollah (Author); Seyed Asghar Mousavi; Moloud Keykhosrovani (Author)
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