Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy for Comorbid Alcohol Dependence and Non‐Psychotic Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract

Alcohol-dependent patients (N = 15) with comorbid non-psychotic psychiatric disorders were treated with Modified Interpersonal Group Therapy (MIGT) for eight weeks, 16 sessions, in a pilot intervention trial. Analysis of the group participants demonstrated that they achieved statistically significant improvements at post-treatment in four of five self-report outcome measures: number of drinking days, number of heavy drinking days, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Furthermore, the improvements in heavy drinking days and the Brief Symptom Inventory were maintained at two and eight months post-treatment. This study yields preliminary evidence in support of MIGT as a useful treatment approach for an alcohol-dependent population with psychiatric comorbidity.

Characteristics of Outpatients in an Addictions Clinic for Co‐occurring Disorders

“…Participants in this study were 131 treatment‐seeking outpatients with a co‐occurring substance use disorder and mental illness who were referred to our clinic, which consists of six Social Workers and one full‐time Psychiatrist. Our treatment mandate is to provide modified, integrated group therapy to patients when their psychiatric or substance use symptoms interfere with traditional treatments being offered in the addictions program or other mental health programs in the hospital.…”

Some new directions for research on psychological interventions for comorbid anxiety and substance use disorders

“…Malat et al . [55] report pre–post comparisons of Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy (IPT) (combining a psychodynamic approach with a disease model of alcoholism) from a pilot study of 15 people with alcohol and non‐psychotic psychiatric disorders. Without a control group it is not possible to evaluate the IPT intervention.…”