Project Summary

Carl Marci, M.D. (Young Investigator 2004) of Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard University, plans on investigating how empathy and certain shared doctor-patient physiological measures may improve the psychotherapeutic process for clinically depressed patients. Prior studies and preliminary data support the use of simultaneous patient and therapist recordings of skin conductance and heart rate as a measure of possible physiologic concordance and autonomic empathy during psychotherapy. While empathy and alliance are only modest predictors of positive outcomes during psychotherapy, the absence of empathy is one of the most consistent predictors of negative outcomes. In the proposed project, Dr. Marci will study 20 depressed patients and their therapists during 20 sessions of psychotherapy. The study--the first to integrate psychophysiologic and psychosocial measures of empathy with therapeutic alliance--will test whether patient-therapist physiologic concordance correlate with clinical outcome and predict outcome better than measures of empathy and alliance. Results should lead to a greater understanding of the process of change during psychotherapy, better training of clinicians and increased efficiency and efficacy of psychotherapy treatment of depressed patients.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS\Unipolar Depression

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