Therapeutic Alliance and Psychoeducation for Depression – Testing the Effectiveness of a Brief Intervention Training Programme: A Pilot Study

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent and disabling of all psychiatric disorders. The therapeutic alliance has been identified as a strong predictor of treatment outcomes among sufferers of MDD, including those presenting in crisis. Such crisis presentations represent a window of opportunity to build a therapeutic alliance and provide psychoeducation to enhance treatment adherence and follow-up. Many mental health practitioners (MHPs) lack formal training in ways to facilitate a positive therapeutic alliance and deliver effective psychoeducation. Objectives: This session aims to describe preliminary evidence obtained of the feasibility and effectiveness of a brief (<4 h) intervention training module for MHPs designed to enhance the therapeutic alliance and delivery of psychoeducation (PE) for patients presenting with MDD to an emergency department or crisis outpatient service. Methods: A mixed-methods approach integrating thematic analysis of focus group discussions (FGDs) involving MHPs (n = 20) with a quantitative analysis of patient (n = 50) self-reports using a modified version of the Working Alliance Inventory (m–WAI) will be utilized. MHPs will participate in FGDs before and after completing online and face-to-face training. Patients presenting to the acute care setting will complete the m–WAI immediately following assessment with MHPs. Findings: It is anticipated that a significant increase in patient-reported therapeutic alliance will emerge following MHPs engagement in brief training. FGD analysis will shed light on the barriers and facilitators to establishing an effective alliance and providing PE to MDD sufferers. Conclusions: Recommendations drawn from the results of the study to inform clinical care and further training and development will be presented.