EFFICACY OF PSYCHODRAMA THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS: A RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY.

Authors

  • Maria Abate Psychiatric Hospital “Villa Santa Chiara”, Verona
  • Laura Consolati Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia
  • Alberto Ghilardi Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia
  • Chiara Buizza Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia
  • Marco Bortolomasi Psychiatric Hospital “Villa Santa Chiara”
  • Chiara Sacco Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia
  • Alessandra Minelli3 Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of psychodrama psychotherapy
compared with treatment-as-usual for patients diagnosed with severe major depressive disorder
(MDD) in an inpatient setting. The sample included 30 patients with severe unipolar depression,
randomly divided into a study group (N=15) participating in a psychodrama intervention in
addition to the routine hospital protocol and a control group (N=15) participating only in the
routine hospital protocol. Clinical assessment was performed with the Beck Depression
Inventory (BDI-II), the Montgomery-Ã…sberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Zung
Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The results of the study showed a decrease in depressive and
anxiety symptoms as measured by MADRS, BDI and SAS, and this decrease was significantly
greater for the psychodrama intervention group. Limitations of the present study, as well as
implications for clinical treatment and research, are discussed.

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Published

2020-12-31

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2020): Agora Psycho-Pragmatica

Section

Articles