What is it about?
People with depression also experience a high degree of distress in their relationships with significant others. In this study we found that improving interpersonal problems during psychotherapy may contribute to reducing depressive symptoms, but changes in depressive symptoms was not consistently related to interpersonal distress.
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Why is it important?
Different theories have divergent views on how interpersonal problems and depression influence each other. This study lends support to the notion that interpersonal functioning is a driving force behind depression, and that psychotherapy may contribute to increased interpersonal flexibility, which in turn leads to more positive responses from others, thereby contributing to a reduction in depressive symptoms. The results suggest that it is important to specifically address interpersonal distress in psychotherapy and not only depressive symptoms.
Perspectives
To me this article highlights that humans are fundamentally relational beings who thrive in mutually rewarding relationships and become distressed when they experience difficulties in relating to others.
Andreas Høstmælingen
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Interrelationships of symptomatic and relational distress: Improvements in interpersonal problems predict subsequent improvement in depressive symptoms during open-ended psychotherapy for adults with depression., Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, June 2025, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000956.
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