Vikersund

Researchers are evaluating the costs and effects of inpatient versus outpatient treatments for dysthymia, a persistent form of depression. The study also aims to understand how psychotherapy helps change dysthymia by examining psychological and physiological processes during treatment. The research addresses a lack of knowledge about which treatment setting is more effective and cost-efficient for managing this condition. Participants receive psychotherapy either as inpatients, with intensive therapy and minimal interruptions in a controlled setting, or as outpatients, with less intensive therapy while living in their normal environment where their problems occur. The study compares these two approaches to see which better reduces symptoms and is more cost-effective in the long term. Throughout the study, depressive symptoms are measured weekly during the 12 weeks of therapy, and again at 24 weeks and one year after therapy begins. The study also tracks the cost of living with dysthymia before treatment, after one year, and after ten years. Researchers assess psychological factors, heart rate variability, and cognitive attention bias to understand the therapy process. Participants are monitored for a total of one year to evaluate treatment outcomes and costs.