Abstract
This article describes a mixed methods evaluation of implementation of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in the first fully-powered trial of any treatment for major depressive disorder in an incarcerated population. Assessments in this Hybrid Type I trial included surveys of prison providers and administrators (n = 71), measures of feasibility and acceptability to prison patients (n = 90), and a planned document review (n = 460) to assess potential determinants of implementation. Quantitative and qualitative results indicated that IPT was a good fit for prisoners, and that prisoners and providers were enthusiastic about IPT. Providers were open to feedback, open to learning evidence-based practices, and committed to helping their clients. Limited treatment staff and variable supervision and collegial support may pose implementation challenges. For widespread prison implementation, scalable models for ongoing IPT training and supervision are needed.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH095230; Johnson, Principal Investigator). We would also like to acknowledge Marlanea Peabody, Collette Williams, Jen Kao, and Karen Fernandes, who helped to collect the data, and Dr. Jessica Nargiso who provided study supervision and kept process notes.
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All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of Brown University’s Institutional Review Board (FWA 00004460), the regulatory bodies overseeing prison research in participating states, and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Johnson, J.E., Hailemariam, M., Zlotnick, C. et al. Mixed Methods Analysis of Implementation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for Major Depressive Disorder in Prisons in a Hybrid Type I Randomized Trial. Adm Policy Ment Health 47, 410–426 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-019-00996-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-019-00996-1