Motivationally-Enhanced Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Mothers of Ill Children

Depression is a serious illness and is common in mothers who have children facing an illness. Research has shown that these mothers, in particular, need better coping skills and ways to relieve depressive symptoms. Helping mothers of ill children achieve better mental health may also be beneficial to their children. Studies have shown that psychotherapy is an effective treatment for depression, and often results in long-term improvements in depressive symptoms. This study will investigate the effectiveness of MI-IPT-B in treating depression in mothers who bring their children to a child mental health clinic for psychiatric treatment. Participants in this open label study will be randomly assigned to receive either MI-IPT-B or facilitated referral to treatment as usual (F-TAU). Participants in both groups will undergo the same screening procedures following assignment to an intervention. The MI-IPT-B group will also receive one session of motivational therapy at the time of the initial screening procedures. Participants assigned to receive MI-IPT-B will report to the study site once weekly for therapy. This type of therapy will focus on improving the participants' relationships with their peers and the way that they perceive themselves. The F-TAU group will receive a referral for standard mental health care within the community health system. Both treatments will last 8 weeks. All participants will return to the study site at Week 14 and Month 6 for follow-up assessments of depressive symptoms.