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, Brescia
  • Chiara BUIZZA Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia
  • Marco BORTOLOMASI Psychiatric Hospital “Villa Santa Chiara”, Verona
  • Chiara SACCO Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia
  • Alessandra MINELLI Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 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-Åsberg 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

2022-01-26

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2022): Agora Psycho-Pragmatica

Section

Articles